The latest to join the long list of Covid-19 symptoms is ‘happy hypoxia’ which means very low levels of oxygen in the blood, leaving medical professionals across the world baffled.
The second Covid wave has infected many youngsters (0-25 years), unlike the first one. Young people are reporting lung infections and suffering from “Happy Hypoxia”.
Happy hypoxia refers to very low oxygen levels in the blood. The normal oxygen saturation in the bloodstream of a healthy person is above 95%, but Covid-19 patients display dangerous declines of as less as 40%.
While hypoxia is a warning signal for imminent failure of vital body organs like the kidneys, brain, heart and is usually accompanied by prominent breathlessness, happy hypoxia does not prompt any such obvious external signs. As a result, in the initial stages of sickness, the Covid-19 patient, on the outside, appears to be alright and “happy”.
According to medical experts, non-regular monitoring of oxygen saturation levels in these cases could cause death also as the drop could be too steep and youngsters would not realise because of their high immunity and health.
“This condition is seen in patients with mild symptoms or who are asymptomatic. They may not show symptoms of breathlessness but their SPO2 (blood oxygen saturation) levels are dangerously low. This can worsen the Covid symptoms and damage lungs severely,” said Dr Dnyaneshwar Mote, member of the Pune city Covid task force for Social Action.
He said patients should regularly monitor oxygen level in blood. “If they notice a drop in oxygen, they must contact their physician immediately and arrange for a bed before symptoms get worse. Patients who are treated in time can recover fast without much lung damage in Covid,” said Dr Mote.
The underlying factor behind Happy Hypoxia is an inflammatory reaction in the body, most likely triggered by SARS-CoV-2 infection and the subsequent onset of COVID-19. This, in turn, instigates cellular protein reactions that form blood clots and prevent cells and tissues in the lungs from receiving adequate oxygen supply.
A pulse oximeter, is hence, a very useful instrument that can help detect falling blood oxygen concentrations in the early phase of COVID-19, much before the ailment manifests in more severe forms. This would assist in immediately isolating and providing prompt medical care for people afflicted by the virus, as well as significantly curb the spread of COVID-19 among the community.
How to identify Happy Hypoxia?
Even while portraying only minor symptoms of COVID-19, such as cough, sore throat, fever, headaches, without any perceivable breathing difficulty, it is advised to continuously measure blood oxygen levels using a pulse oximeter. Also, the colour of the lips changes from the natural shade to appear blue, while skin discolouration occurs from the original tone to a red/purple appearance. Persistent sweating, even when not performing arduous exercise routines or in a hot surrounding is yet another red signal for low blood oxygen levels. Keeping an eye out for these warning signs of happy hypoxia ensures prompt treatment in a hospital setting, thereby restoring lung capacity and normal breathing in the affected individual and helping them recover from COVID-19.
The 6-minute-walk-test:
Patients isolating at home (with oxygen level at 95% min) should do the simple 6-minute walk test (6MWT) to look for inducible hypoxia and to check their true Oxygen level. For this, a patient needs to first monitor their oxygen level, then take a walk inside the room for six minutes and again check their oxygen saturation. If the O2 level falls to 92%, take that as an alarm signal.
According to the American Lung Association, the six-minute walk test is a measure of functional status or fitness, a simple measure of aerobic exercise capacity. During this test, you walk at your normal pace for six minutes. This test can be used to monitor your response to treatments for heart, lung and other health problems.
