Coronavirus has been linked to a higher risk of blood clots in those who become severely ill or require hospitalisation.
Multiple studies from different countries have noted a link between the two and now, experts in the UK are seeing it with their own eyes. Two of the most common types experts are seeing are deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE).
“We’re seeing a lot of [blood clot cases] with Covid-19,” Professor Beverley Hunt, a consultant in thrombosis, tells HuffPost UK. People who become severely ill with the virus – where they develop pneumonia and need hospitalisation – have “high rates” of blood clots, she says.
Prof Hunt, who is co-founder of charity Thrombosis UK, has also witnessed blood clots in patients who are at home and sick with Covid-19, although at lower rates.
So, why does it happen?