Doctors Warn COVID-19 Positive Young Adults May Suffer From Sudden Strokes

There is mounting evidence that coronavirus infection can cause blood to form clots in strange ways. The phenomenon may be the reason for the increase in stroke incidences among victims who usually do not suffer from them. This is what doctors at Mount Sinai Health System said in an interview with CNN.

Increased Clotting

According to the doctors, the patients may have been reluctant to contact 911 because of news about hospitals getting overwhelmed by COVID-19 patients. New York officials have been advising residents not to call 911 unless they experience severe symptoms of COVID-19, such as breathing difficulties and high fever. This is to prevent adding more patients to the already overwhelmed EMS. This new report, however, could be particularly troubling for all concerned.

Neurosurgeon Dr. Thomas Oxley of Mount Sinai Health System in New York and his colleagues, in an interview with CNN, talked about a couple of unusual cases they encountered. Dr. Oxley said that during a recent two-week period, they treated five completely or partially asymptomatic COVID-19 positive patients under 50 years old, all without any history of cardiovascular problems. Dr. Oxley and his colleagues said that they all seem to have suffered increased clotting in their large arteries, which caused them to have severe strokes.

An Increase In Incidence Of Sudden Stroke

Dr. Oxley and his colleagues said that they seldom see people under the age of 50 suffer from sudden strokes. They revealed that they usually record less than two strokes each month in people at that young age. During the two weeks amid the pandemic, however, they said they had treated five of such cases, and that makes it unusual. Their report on the matter is set to be published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Dr. Oxley also revealed that most of the five patients he talked about were at home, three of them with mild COVID-19 symptoms while the other two are asymptomatic. According to reports, all of them were found to be coronavirus-positive upon testing, but the two delayed in calling an ambulance.

Immediate Treatment Is Vital

The neurosurgeon said that a stroke in the large blood vessel could cause severe damage if it is not immediately removed. He disclosed that at least one of the five patients died, while the others are in the stroke unit, rehabilitation facilities, or intensive care. Only one was able to go home but would need intense care. “The average person who has a large vessel stroke is severely impaired. It means it is a bigger clot. It includes one of the largest arteries in the brain,” Dr. Oxley said.

He explained that when blood flow is stopped, the brain cells die. The longer the flow of blood is blocked, the greater damage it causes in the brain. This is why, according to the neurosurgeon, immediate treatment is vital. The neurosurgeon also said that the most effective treatment is to remove the large vessel stroke clot. This must be done, however, within the first six hours or at most, within 24 hours.

Call Emergency Services

While people have been advised against calling emergency services unless they experience severe symptoms of coronavirus infection, Dr. Oxley said they must call if they notice any evidence of stroke. The neurosurgeon said that an easy memory tool for stroke is the acronym “FAST.” F is for face drooping, A is for arm weakness, S is for speech difficulty, and T is for time to call emergency services or 911.