Why in the news: According to an opinion piece in The New York Times, Covid pneumonia — a serious medical condition found in severe Covid-19 patients — is preceded by ‘silent hypoxia’, a form of oxygen deprivation that is harder to detect than regular hypoxia.
- In ‘silent’ or ‘happy’ hypoxia, patients appear to be less in distress.
- Many Covid-19 patients, despite having oxygen levels below 80 per cent, look fairly at ease and alert, according to multiple reports. This phenomenon has puzzled several medical practitioners.
- According to the Mayo Clinic normal arterial oxygen is approximately 75 to 100 millimetres of mercury (mm Hg), and normal pulse oximeter readings usually range from 95 to 100 per cent. Values under 90 per cent are considered low.
(The Indian Express)
