Could Low Doses Acetylsalicylic Acid Prevent Thrombotic Complications in COVID-19 Patients?

Abstract

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) can induce inflammatory and thrombotic complications of pulmonary district (interstitial pneumonia), sometimes evolving toward acute respiratory failure. In adults, Acetylsalicylic Acid (ASA) is widely employed at low doses for primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Apart their anti-thrombotic effect, low ASA doses also exert an anti-inflammatory action. So, when these are assumed for CVD prevention, could prevent both inflammatory reaction and pro-coagulant tendency of Coronavirus-2019 (COVID-19) infection. In addition, some patients receiving ASA are simultaneously treated with Statins, to correct dyslipidemia. But, for their pleiotropic effects, Statins can also be useful to antagonize pulmonary thrombo-inflammation induced by COVID-19. Thus ASA, with or without Statins, employed for CVD prevention, could be useful to avoid or minimize inflammatory reaction and thrombotic complications of COVID-19. But, further studies performed in a wide range are requested to validate this hypothesis.