COVID-19: Silent Pneumonia
Silent pneumonia can usually be recognized when the oxygen saturation in the blood is measured with a pulse oximeter or an X-ray is taken.
We know that the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 can cause pneumonia in serious cases. But some patients have no symptoms in what is known as silent pneumonia, which is usually recognized late.
People do not experience shortness of breath or other symptoms that could indicate pneumonia, even though the body suffers from a lack of oxygen. However, late diagnosis can lead to complications, so special care should be taken.
The new coronavirus poses a major challenge for scientists and health workers. We learn new things every day, because many researchers are currently focusing on this topic. It is therefore important to be well informed about this in order to protect ourselves from complications as much as possible. Learn more about silent pneumonia and its consequences today.
What is silent pneumonia?
Silent pneumonia is a serious problem that can be triggered by the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Many people do not experience symptoms such as difficulty breathing even if they have pneumonia and the oxygen saturation in the blood is very low.
Normally, low blood oxygen saturation or other symptoms that require artificial respiration lead to shock. This means that breathlessness or other signs usually point to the disease and the defense mechanisms become active.
But this is not the case with silent pneumonia. At various hospitals in New York and Brazil, doctors have observed many patients with silent pneumonia who were in good condition. They were only able to detect pneumonia by measuring the oxygen saturation or by taking an X-ray of the chest area.
The problem is progressive hypoxia (lack of oxygen) that the patient is not even aware of. This lack of oxygen is the cause of many sudden deaths as a result of infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
How can this be explained?
Scientists have not yet found an explanation for silent pneumonia. Some doctors believe that the new coronavirus causes specific changes by damaging the lung cells, which mean that the lungs are still able to expel carbon dioxide but can no longer take in oxygen.
The increased concentration of carbon dioxide alerts the brain that there is a lack of oxygen. However, since carbon dioxide is emitted relatively normally, the brain does not receive this signal.
Another hypothesis is based on the fact that every person has a different tolerance for oxygen levels in the blood. This means that some people don’t realize that their oxygen saturation is way too low.
In addition, some even believe that there may be a connection with the ability of the virus to cause thrombosis. We definitely need to know that there is a possibility of silent pneumonia caused by COVID-19.
With every slightest suspicion, it is therefore advisable to measure the oxygen saturation in the blood and, if necessary, to take an X-ray of the chest area. This is especially important if the person concerned has had contact with an infected person or if it is a patient from a risk group.
