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Prior Ambulatory Mild Coronavirus Disease 2019 Does Not Increase Risk of Acute Mountain Sickness

Elan Small1, Caleb Phillips2, William Bunzel3

  • 1Department of Emergency Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California, USA.

High Altitude Medicine & Biology
|June 12, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Prior mild coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) does not increase the risk of acute mountain sickness (AMS). This finding suggests that a history of mild COVID-19 should not prevent individuals from traveling to high altitudes.

Area of Science:

  • Altitude Medicine
  • Infectious Disease Epidemiology

Background:

  • Understanding the long-term health impacts of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is crucial for pre-ascent risk assessment.
  • Acute mountain sickness (AMS) is a common concern for high-altitude travelers.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether a prior history of mild COVID-19 influences the susceptibility to developing AMS.
  • To inform risk stratification for individuals planning high-altitude expeditions.

Main Methods:

  • A prospective observational study was conducted in Lobuje (4,940m) and Manang (3,519m), Nepal.
  • Acute mountain sickness (AMS) was diagnosed using the 2018 Lake Louise Questionnaire criteria.
  • COVID-19 severity was assessed using World Health Organization criteria.

Main Results:

  • In Lobuje (n=2,027), 46.2% reported prior COVID-19; AMS prevalence was 25.7%. No significant association was found between prior mild COVID-19 and AMS (p=0.6).
  • In Manang (n=908), 42.8% reported prior COVID-19; AMS prevalence was 14.7%. No significant association was found between prior mild COVID-19 and AMS (p=0.3).
  • The average time since COVID-19 infection was over 6 months in both cohorts.

Conclusions:

  • Prior ambulatory mild COVID-19 infection is not associated with an increased risk of developing acute mountain sickness.
  • Individuals with a history of mild COVID-19 can safely undertake high-altitude travel without increased AMS risk.
Keywords:
acute mountain sicknesscoronavirus disease 2019precision medicine

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