Scientists from Umeå Universitet found an increased risk of deep vein thrombosis (a blood clot in the leg) up to three months after COVID-19 infection, pulmonary embolism (a blood clot in the lung) up to six months, and a bleeding event up to two months.
They also found a higher risk of events in patients with underlying conditions (comorbidities), patients with more severe COVID-19, and during the first pandemic wave compared with the second and third waves.
The researchers say these results support measures to prevent thrombotic events (thromboprophylaxis), especially for high-risk patients, and strengthen the importance of vaccination against COVID-19.
The research is published in The BMJ and was conducted by Ioannis Katsoularis et al.
It is well known that COVID-19 increases the risk of serious blood clots (known as venous thromboembolism or VTE), but less evidence exists on the length of time this risk is increased, if the risk changed during the pandemic waves, and whether COVID-19 also increases the risk of major bleeding.
In the study, the team measured the risk of deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, and bleeding after COVID-19.
They identified more than one million people with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection (the virus responsible for COVID-19) between 1 February 2020 and 25 May 2021 and more than four million people who had not had a positive SARS-CoV-2 test result.
The team found that compared with the control period, risks were much higher 90 days after COVID-19 for deep vein thrombosis, 180 days for pulmonary embolism, and 60 days for bleeding.
They found a fivefold increase in the risk of deep vein thrombosis, a 33-fold increase in the risk of pulmonary embolism, and an almost twofold increase in the risk of bleeding in the 30 days after infection.
Even among mild COVID-19 patients, the researchers found increased risks of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism.
The results were largely consistent after further analyses, and are in line with similar studies on the association between COVID-19 and thromboembolic events.
The findings suggest that COVID-19 is an independent risk factor for deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, and bleeding, and that the risk of these outcomes is increased for three, six, and two months after COVID-19, respectively.
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