What is the cause of hypoxia in corona patients?

A new study has shed light on why many COVID-19 patients, even those who are not in hospital, suffer from a lack of oxygen that can develop and threaten their lives at certain stages of the infection.

The study, which was published in the journal "Stem Cell Reports", and conducted by researchers from the University of Alberta, also shows why the anti-inflammatory drug "Dexamethasone" is an effective treatment for those infected with the virus, according to the newspaper, "Medical Xpress".

The study's lead author, Shukrullah Elahi, associate professor at the College of Medicine and Dentistry, said: "Low blood oxygen levels have been a major problem in COVID-19 patients. The reason for this is, we believe, one possible mechanism may be that COVID-19 affects red blood cell production.”

In the new study, Elahi and his team examined the blood of 128 patients with COVID-19. The patients included those who were in a critical condition and admitted to the intensive care unit, those who developed moderate symptoms and were hospitalized, and those who had a mild version of the disease and spent only a few hours in the hospital.

The researchers found that as the disease worsens, immature red blood cells flow into the circulation, sometimes making up as much as 60 percent of the total cells in the blood. By comparison, immature red blood cells make up less than 1%, or not at all, in a healthy individual's blood.

"Immature red blood cells are found in the bone marrow and we don't usually see them in the circulatory system," Elahi explained. This indicates that the virus is affecting the source of these cells. As a result, to compensate for the depletion of healthy, immature red blood cells, the body produces significantly more of them in order to provide enough oxygen to the body.”

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