Minor Case Of COVID Might Increase Your Risk For Blood Clots And Mortality

Nov, 2022 - By WMR

There are a number of conditions that can persist for a long time following COVID, and the list keeps growing.

Blood clots are now being added to the list by experts, some of which can be fatal. According to a recent study published on Monday, even a minor case of COVID can put one at danger in the weeks after infection.

The London-based study, which was reported in the British medical journal Heart, looked at the medical records of over 20,000 UK citizens who had COVID and compared them to those of people with comparable conditions who did not.

When compared to people who hadn't had COVID, researchers discovered that those who had been diagnosed with COVID but weren't admitted to the hospital still had a risk of venous thromboembolism—blood clots in the veins that can include deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism.

These people had a mortality risk that was more than ten times higher, the researchers discovered.

The results "may presage a substantial imminent public health hazard given the massive population exposure to COVID-19," the investigators stated.

Those who had been hospitalised with COVID were shown to have a larger variety of adverse events as well as a higher incidence of them. When compared to peers who hadn't had COVID, these people had a nearly 28-fold higher risk of venous thromboembolism, a nearly 22-fold higher risk of heart failure, and a nearly 18-fold higher risk of stroke.

The majority of adverse events reported in the trial happened within 30 days of infection, although the authors add that "the risk remains elevated for a longer period thereafter."

The study looked at patient information from the first two waves of COVID in the UK. The authors concluded that more research is required to ascertain the duration of the elevated risk for blood clots and other adverse cardiovascular events as well as what can be done to assist patients who are at high risk for such occurrences.