COVID-19 associated thromboembolism: causing the respiratory failure

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has recently emerged in China and caused a global pandemic. WHO announced that COVID-19 could be characterised as a pandemic due to unprecedented swift global spread and severity of the outbreak. When infected with the virus, patients usually have a fever, dry cough, dyspnoea, myalgia, headache and sometimes diarrhoea. Updates on molecular characteristics of SARS-CoV-2, treatment and epidemiological control are more important to help optimise the disease control measures Thrombotic complication is an essential issue in patients infected with COVID-19. Concomitant venous thromboembolism (VTE) seems to be a potential cause of unexplained deaths in COVID-19 cases. Thrombocytopenia, elevated D-dimer, prolonged prothrombin time, and disseminated intravascular coagulation are the clinical findings related to such condition. In China, anticoagulant therapy in severe COVID‐19 was suggested for improving outcome. Studies showed the urgency for VTE diagnostic strategies. Aetiology may be multifactorial, and therefore, we review the available literature relevant to acute venous thromboembolism associated with novel coronavirus infection.