Covering by discrete and closed discrete sets (Q1005167)

For a space \(X\), dis\((X)\) denotes the smallest infinite cardinal \(\kappa\) such that \(X\) can be covered by \(\kappa\) many discrete subspaces, and \(\Delta(X)\) is the smallest cardinality of a non-empty open set in \(X\). \textit{I. Juhász} and \textit{Z. Szentmiklóssy} [Topology Appl. 155, 2102--2104 (2008; Zbl 1155.54007)] asked if dis\((X) \geq \Delta(X)\) for any compactum \(X\). The author investigates this inequality for Baire spaces and shows that it is true for two classes of such spaces; one of them contains Baire metric spaces, and the other paracompact Baire \(\sigma\)-spaces. However, there are Baire spaces \(X\) such that dis\((X) < \Delta(X)\). Several related questions are posed.