Blood Vessels and COVID

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Anchor lead: Studies are pointing to blood vessel damage as a result of COVID-19 infection, Elizabeth Tracey reports

Children with COVID-19 infection may rarely develop an inflammation of blood vessels similar to another known condition called Kawasaki syndrome. David Kass, a cardiologist at Johns Hopkins, says this blood vessel issue that results in increased blood clotting is also found in some adults with the infection.

Kass: The study that came out related to the pretty rare inflammatory vascular disease in children is paralleled in a way by a case report in the New England Journal of five young adults who all presented with stroke. The most common presentation that we’re seeing is deep venous thrombosis. Fundamentally this idea that there’s a prothrombotic vascular inflammatory state that is occurring I think is becoming increasingly accepted.  : 31

Kass says clinicians are aware of prothrombosis or tendency to develop blood clots and there are medications to help. At Johns Hopkins, I’m Elizabeth Tracey.