Researchers from the Heart Research Institute (HRI) are on the precipice of a world-first medical breakthrough for the treatment of one of the most devastating, life-threatening complications of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) – microscopic blood clots.
In an important breakthrough, clinicians on the frontline have recently identified a critical role for blood clots in converting COVID-19 from a mild respiratory disorder into a devastating life-threatening disease. Severe COVID-19 infection leading to respiratory failure is associated with the development of widespread blood clots throughout the lungs. With up to 75 per cent of ICU patients with COVID-19 developing these blood clots, preventing or dissolving them quickly may be the key to preventing death and long-term organ damage from this disease.
“The extent of the blood clotting problem in COVID-19 patients was totally unexpected,” according to Professor Ben Freedman, a Sydney cardiologist with a research interest in blood clotting complications. “Recent evidence from the Mount Sinai Hospital, New York suggests that anti-clotting therapies may be our best option to prevent lethal complications from this devastating disease.”
