Why does blood oxygen drop during COVID-19?

The coronavirus infects immature red blood cells, reducing oxygen transport and weakening the immune response. This leads to a decrease in the level of oxygen in the blood during COVID-19, the authors of a study published in the journal Reports Stem Cell reported.

According to ria.ru, this study also explains why the anti-inflammatory drug dexamethasone has proven to be an effective treatment for COVID-19.

Hypoxia is a potentially dangerous condition in which oxygen saturation of body tissues decreases. This problem is common for most patients with COVID-19, even if they are mildly ill.

Scientists examined the blood of 128 patients with COVID-19, among whom were severe patients in intensive care units, people with moderate symptoms, and those who had a mild illness, and only went to the hospital for tests.

The authors found that as the severity of symptoms increased, patients had more immature, newly formed red blood cells in their blood. In healthy people, immature erythrocytes are found in the bone marrow, and they are absent in the blood or make up less than 1%. In severely ill COVID-19, the volume of these cells in the blood reached 60%.

Oxygen is carried only by mature red blood cells, which live on average about 120 days. In addition, it turned out that immature red blood cells are very susceptible to coronavirus infection. As the virus attacks and destroys immature red blood cells, the body cannot replace dead mature red blood cells and the ability to carry oxygen in the bloodstream is reduced.

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