Thromboembolic Complications in Severe COVID-19: Current Antithrombotic Strategies and Future Perspectives

Abstract

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS- CoV-2) is our latest pandemic and has turned out to be a global public health crisis. One of the special characteristics of this disease is that it may predispose patients to thrombotic disease both in the venous and arterial circulation. We review arterial and venous thromboembolic complications in patients with COVID-19, epidemiology, pathogenesis, hematologic biomarkers, and current antithrombotic strategies. Future perspectives and clinical trials are ongoing to determine the best thromboprophylaxis strategies in the hospitalized patients with severe COVID-19.

Keywords: COVID-19; bleeding; myocardial infarction; pulmonary embolism.; stroke; thromboembolism; thromboprophylaxis; thrombosis; venous thromboembolism.