A Mini-Review and Perspective on Anti-hypoxic Hypothesis of COVID-19

Abstract

A novel coronavirus emerged in Wuhan, China; in December 2019 and has widely affected the global community. After months of extensive effort, much remains to be understood of the pathogenesis of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). The available evidence raises a critical question : Is COVID-19 a lung disorder leading to circulatory problems, or a systemic disorder that leads to lung problems?. If the latter scenario is correct, investigations on hypoxia conditions and the development of anti-hypoxia agents may lead to potential front-line treatments in combination with antivirals for hypoxemic COVID-19 patients. Hence, anti-hypoxic agents may become a potential part of combination therapy in hypoxemic respiratory failure and COVID-19.