Postmortem examinations on the people who collapse and die show thrombosis on COVID-19 infections

A nurse at a public hospital, Kapsabet hospital. FILE

Medics suggest blood thinners for hospitalised Coronavirus patients, following increasing evidence that many of them are being killed by blood clots.


Recent autopsies on some Kenyans who collapsed and died suddenly show some contracted the Naval virus and had amplified blood clots, which killed them.


The majority of the blood clots are in the deep veins of the leg, groin or arm and end up in the lungs where they block some or all of the blood supply.



This makes the patient then starts to cough, sweat and gasp for breath and collapses.


"Emerging evidence from autopsy and imaging studies are showing that the majority of the patients suffer or die from thrombosis related complications," says the Kenya Society of Thrombosis and Haemostasis in recommended treatment guidelines presented to the Ministry of Health last week.


Medics David Maina (chairman of the society), Harun Otieno (vice-chair), Gordon Ogweno (secretary-general) and Peter Waweru (treasurer) collectively say the risk of blood clots is highest for hospitalised infected patients and those in isolation and quarantine because they are immobile.


"Due to high prevalence of thrombosis in Covid-19 than non-COVID-19 patients, it is recommended to start anticoagulation early to avert disease progression or prevent severe forms," stated in the recommendations.


Postmortem examinations are also finding clots in the capillaries of the lungs in Covid-19 patients, restricting the oxygenated blood from moving through the lungs.


Last week, medical director at MP Shah Hospital Dr Vishal Patel that some asymptomatic infected patients are still encountering thrombosis because the virus can still ravage blood vessels.


"For patients with severe disease, and we see they don’t have a significant bleeding risk, we normally give them blood thinners,” Dr Patel said.