Silent hypoxia in patients with SARS CoV-2 infection before hospital discharge

This study was intended to evaluate the degree of hypoxia and subjective dyspnoea elicited by a 6-minute walking test (6 MWT) in COVID-19 patients prior to discharge. Researchers conducted a 6 MWT in 26 discharge-ready COVID-19 patients without chronic pulmonary disease or cardiac failure. They tested heart rate, oxyhaemoglobin saturation (SpO2), respiratory rate, and subjective dyspnoea measured on the Borg CR-10 scale, before and immediately after the 6 MWT with continuous monitoring of SpO2 and heart rate during the 6 MWT. The findings revealed that in the diagnosis of asymptomatic exercise-induced hypoxia, the 6 MWT is a potential tool in hospitalized COVID-19 individuals prior to discharge. Due to important methodological limitations, further research is required to validate the data and to evaluate their clinical consequences.