Covid and AstraZeneca: what is a thrombosis?

Published by Laurent de Sortiraparis · Published on March 25th, 2021 at 12:47 p.m.
As the AstraZeneca Covid vaccine has been sparking questions after suspicious cases of thrombosis ten days following injection, the editorial board has decided to focus on what thromboses are medically speaking. Risks, symptoms, treatments… Here is more on the matter!

AstraZeneca Covid vaccine is widely talked about… And for good reason: in addition to playing hard to get to the EU because of countless delivery delays, cases of thromboses have been also reported in some patients, several days after being vaccinating, leading some EU countries to halt vaccination campaigns.

For many specialists, the creation of suspicious clots led to the death of several people, including the latest case reported, a young twenty-year-old medical student, in Nantes, ten days after getting the first dose of AstraZeneca vaccine.

No link has been established between these cases of thrombosis and the vaccine so far, as the European Medicines Agency explained a few days ago, despite two European studies, including one from Norway, showing the contrary. But a suspicion, proven or not, that piqued our curiosity as to know what a thrombosis was.

Therefore, what is a thrombosis? It is the formation of a thrombus, that is to say a blood clot (the final stage of coagulation) in a vein or artery, clogging the blood circulation within them. Blood clots can lead to varied very severe issues such as brain hemorrhages, strokes, as well as pulmonary embolism in the event of phlebitis.

As for symptoms, they are easy to notice: headaches, vomiting, visual impairment, seizure, as well as red patches, edemas (swelling), or just pain, especially in the legs since the disease affects lower limbs most of the time. Note that if you feel even one of these symptoms, you better go to the emergency department.

As for treatment, you will be given anticoagulants to prevent the clot made grows or causes hemorrhage because a blood vessel breaks. As for phlebitis, the most common, you can also be prescribed support stockings, along with anticoagulants. Lifting your legs is also a good way to prevent phlebitis, especially if you cannot move because you have your leg in a cast or if you are traveling a long-haul flight, without moving, for instance.

Practical information
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