A study from Sweden reveals that after a Covid infection, there is an increased risk of having a major blood clot for the next six months.
People with severe Covid, as well as those infected during the initial wave, had the highest clot risk, according to the study. According to the researchers, this underlines the need of getting vaccinated against the virus.
Blood clots can happen after immunization, but the risk is far lower, according to a major UK study. People who have received Covid-19 are more prone to develop a blood clot, especially those who have had to go to the hospital. Scientists wanted to know when the danger would return to normal.
They discovered an increased risk of blood clots in the leg, known as deep vein thrombosis (DVT), for up to three months after a Covid infection; blood clots in the lungs, known as pulmonary embolism, for up to six months; and internal bleeding, such as a stroke, for up to two months after a Covid infection.
When the researchers compared the risks of blood clots after Covid to the normal level of risk, they discovered that four out of every 10,000 Covid patients developed DVT, compared to one out of every 10,000 people who didn’t have Covid; about 17 out of every 10,000 Covid patients had a blood clot in the lung, compared to less than one out of every 10,000 people who didn’t have Covid.
The increased risk of blood clots was larger in the first wave than later waves, according to the study, likely because treatments improved during the pandemic and older patients began to get vaccinated by the second wave.
In those who were extremely critically unwell with Covid, the chance of a blood clot in the lung was 290 times higher than normal, and 7 times higher than normal after moderate Covid. In mild cases, however, there was no increased risk of internal bleeding.
“For unvaccinated folks, that’s a really good reason to receive a vaccine — the risk is so much higher than the risk from vaccines,” says Anne-Marie Fors.
The researchers can’t confirm that Covid is to blame for the blood clots in this study, but they do have a few possibilities. It could be due to the virus’s direct influence on the layer of cells that lines blood vessels, an excessive inflammatory response to the virus, or the body’s tendency to form blood clots at inopportune periods.
Vaccines are highly effective against severe Covid, but they provide less protection against infection, especially with the Omicron variety, which means that recurring infections with symptoms are typical as countries learn to live with Covid.
To read our blog on “WHO declares a green recovery from COVID-19 urgently required,” click here.
