Why does oxygen level go down due to COVID infection?
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Answer:
New York: Researchers have found possible explanations for Covid-19 patients who present with extremely low, otherwise life-threatening levels of oxygen, but no signs of difficulty in breathing.
How the brain responds to the low oxygen level could be one of the factors behind the condition, known as silent hypoxemia or "happy hypoxia," said the study published in the online American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
This new understanding of the condition could prevent unnecessary intubation and ventilation in patients during the current and expected second wave of coronavirus.
The study found that "several pathophysiological mechanisms account for most, if not all, cases of silent hypoxemia.
This includes the initial assessment of a patient's oxygen level with a pulse oximeter.