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More Worrying COVID Symptoms : Blood Clots

"We hope to get some understanding of how much these blood clots have been contributing and try to prevent them."
"We hope to achieve the development of a much lower rate of blood clots and potentially affect mortality, which is the ultimate goal."
"That [prevention of strokes] is one reason we wanted to get on this right away."
Dr.Philip Wells, head, department of medicine, The Ottawa Hospital

Clotting may be a major factor in organ damage from COVID-19, according to new findings.(AP: Zhang Yuwei via Xinhua)

The "this" that Dr.Wells refers to is the discovery of yet another complication racked up by the SARS-CoV-2 virus in its rampage through the human community; the identified connection between blood clotting and COVID-19. First noted by doctors in China, alerting researchers and physicians everywhere, including at The Ottawa Hospital deciding to take the lead to attempt reducing the risk to patients, through a deeper understanding of the connection between COVID and blood clots.

When it became evident that blood clots were a key factor in COVID-19, doctors at The Ottawa Hospital wasted no time in implementing new protocols and at the same time studying the impact of a menace that proves continually there is much to learn about the novel coronavirus, including the realized reality that COVID patients become at higher risk of blood clots. The issue here for the doctors is how these patients can be protected.

Dr.Wells is head of one of the leading research units in blood clots, and researchers at the hospital acknowledged their facility had to "take the lead" in finding answers to these vexing problems. At the present time, patients with risk factors for blood clots are routinely injected with anticoagulants on admission to hospitals throughout Canada. It soon became evident the routine dose was insufficient for patients with COVID-19, Dr.Wells stated.

'COVID toes,' patches on the feet, a rare inflammatory syndrome in children.

The Canadian Press

In some centres rates of blood clots have been reported among COVID patients that were "shockingly high", leading The Ottawa Hospital to increase the amount of anticoagulant administered to COVID patients, based on their physical weight. Preventive diagnostic imaging is also being used in monitoring for blood clits on COVID patients as well as regular tests to monitor the prevalence of blood clots and whether the new protocol makes a difference in patient outcome.

Unknown as yet, is whether and to what extent these blood clots have contributed to deaths from COVID-19. Similar to other COVID-19 symptoms, those of blood clots include chest pain and rapid respiratory failure, indicating an urgent requirement for research to better understand the virus and its many complications. More aggressive treatment to prevent blood clots may aid in preventing strokes, yet another related complication of COVID.

Some of the papers written about blood clotting in COVID patients suggest between one-quarter and one-third of patients admitted to hospital might have the complications, points out Dr.Marc Carrier, head of hematology at The Ottawa Hospital, although rates seen in Ottawa have been substantially lower. Evidence also exists that blood clots could be a factor in the mysterious "COVIDtoes" complication most commonly seen in children and young people.

These peculiar symptoms turn up as purple or blue lesions on a patient's feet or toes, typically painful to touch. Patients describe experiencing a hot or burning sensation related to them. Patients with COVIDtoes, according to experts who made a study of the condition, usually have no other symptoms associated with the virus; no cough, fever, or shortness of breath, and they tend as well to test negative.

Dr.Carrier noted that the earliest report out of China linking COVID to blood clots led to the awareness that blood clots could be very important in COVID patients "and also, that there might be something we can do about it. It is still a moving target. We are still learning", he said.