(Central News Agency, Paris, 6th comprehensive foreign report) Research released today shows that infection with COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) increases the risk of developing severe deep blood clots, even in mild cases, which can last up to 6 months following infection. , but vaccination can help reduce the risk.
Agence France-Presse reported that previous research has shown that contracting COVID-19 increases the risk of blood clots, but the new study, published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), shows how long the threat lasts.
To find out, the researchers compared data on 1 million people infected with the disease in Sweden between February 2020 and May 2021, with a control group of more than 4 million people who were undiagnosed.
Researchers found that people infected with the new coronavirus had an increased risk of developing a pulmonary embolism for up to six months following being infected. Pulmonary embolism is a condition in which one of the arteries in the lungs becomes blocked by a blood clot.
In addition, there is an increased risk of developing deep vein thrombosis, usually in the legs, 3 months following infection. After adjusting for a range of factors, they found that patients with COVID-19 had a 33-fold increased risk of pulmonary embolism and a 5-fold increased risk of deep vein thrombosis.
The study found that patients with pre-existing medical conditions had a higher risk of developing blood clots if they were severely ill with COVID-19.
Even mild cases that did not require hospitalization were at a higher risk of pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis than people who didn’t have the virus.
The researchers said that during the first wave of the pandemic, patients had a higher chance of developing blood clots, and then the lower rates were due to increased vaccine coverage and improved treatment.
The study has “important policy implications” and calls for more medical intervention to prevent thrombosis, especially in high-risk cases, the researchers said; the findings also highlight the importance of vaccination. (Translator: Chen Yijun / Verification: Xu Ruicheng) 1110407
