> It’s probably a leading indicator of COVID pneumonia
This is incorrect. In some cases, COVID-19 causes blood O2 levels to drop, even while being otherwise asymptomatic. See: https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/hcp/puls...
This is incorrect. In some cases, COVID-19 causes blood O2 levels to drop, even while being otherwise asymptomatic. See: https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/hcp/puls...
COVID causes blood O2 to drop because it causes a viral pneumonia. Early stages of a viral pneumonia can be pre-symptomatic or entirely asymptomatic. Asymptomatic patients can still transmit COVID to others. Patients with low oxygen should seek medical attention because their pneumonia can get worse.
Your source says “Many patients with COVID-19 disease have low oxygen levels even when they are feeling well.” These patients have low oxygen because of COVID pneumonia.
This article seems to be saying that it happens even when pneumonia isn't present:
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/04/why-don-t-some-coron...
Unfortunately, the article is not as clear as I would hope, but that's how I read it at least.
Your (uncited) claim that "These patients have low oxygen because of COVID pneumonia." There are plenty of sources out there[1] that talk about a strange, again, leading indicator, known as "silent hypoxia" which has nothing to do with pneumonia. Further, there's a lot of confusion in your post: if COVID ends up giving you pneumonia, you are definitionally not asymptomatic.
[1] https://www.lung.org/media/press-releases/silent-hypoxia-cov...
Pneumonia is a diagnosis (well, class of), not a symptom nor a sign, which are distinct terms of art. You can have pneumonia that shows up on a chest X-ray (a sign) without any symptoms.
A better example might be high blood pressure, which many people understand can be silent/asymptomatic for years but is easily measurable.
Point still stands, symptoms are noticeable and reportable by the patient. If covid gives you pneumonia you may still be asymptomatic.
Your post is a bit confusing, I'm not exactly sure what you're arguing. Walking pneumonia (which is what you're describing; the term of art is atypical pneumonia) is extremely rare, and it's not what we're talking about here. Non-atypical pneumonia has symptoms, ergo is by definition not asymptomatic.