Is it true that Covid-19 has been linked to strokes?
Researchers are still learning about the possible complications of Covid-19.
A study of 32 patients with both Covid-19 and strokes in New York found that they tended to be younger than stroke patients who didn’t have Covid-19 and that their strokes were more severe. They also had higher levels of D-dimer in their blood – a protein fragment, which is associated with blood clotting.
A case report by researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai details how five Covid-19 patients, also in New York, suffered large-vessel strokes in a two-week period. This type of stroke happens “when there is a large blood clot in a major artery of the brain” and is typically seen in patients older than 50 years. But the five patients were all younger than 50.
A possible link between large-vessel strokes and Covid-19 in young people needs further investigation, the authors note.
