Coronavirus: A third of hospital patients develop dangerous blood clots

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-52662065

Coronavirus: A third of hospital patients develop dangerous blood clots

By Richard Galpin
BBC News

5 hours ago

Up to 30% of patients who are seriously ill with coronavirus are developing dangerous blood clots, according to medical experts.

They say the clots, also known as thrombosis, could be contributing to the number of people dying.

Severe inflammation in the lungs - a natural response of the body to the virus - is behind their formation.
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Back in March, as coronavirus was spreading across the globe, doctors started seeing far higher rates of clots in patients admitted to hospital than they would normally expect.

And there have been other surprises, including the discovery of hundreds of micro-clots in the lungs of some patients.

The virus has also increased cases of deep vein thrombosis - blood clots usually found in the leg - which can be life-threatening when fragments break off and move up the body into the lungs, blocking blood vessels.
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According to thrombosis expert Prof Beverley Hunt, sticky blood is having wider repercussions than just blood clots - it's also leading to higher rates of strokes and heart attacks.

"And yes sticky blood is contributing to high mortality rates," she says.
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