Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Aug 05, 2025 2 hours, 45 minutes ago
Medical News: COVID-19 Is Not Just a Lung Disease
Most people think of COVID-19 as a lung infection, but mounting evidence shows it wreaks havoc far beyond the respiratory system. According to a new review by researchers from the Department of Pharmacy and Department of Vascular Surgery Center at the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China and Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital in Chengdu, China, the virus also causes extensive damage to the vascular system, triggering serious and sometimes fatal blood clots.
COVID-19 Turns Blood Vessels into Deadly Traps Inside Your Body
This
Medical News report uncovers how the SARS-CoV-2 virus creates a perfect storm inside blood vessels. The damage includes blood clot formation in both small and large vessels, leading to complications like deep vein thrombosis (DVT), pulmonary embolism (PE), stroke, heart attacks, kidney infarctions, and even organ failure.
The Dangerous Role of Inflammation and Blood Clots
The study explains that the virus directly infects blood vessel linings, especially those rich in ACE2 receptors, triggering immune overreactions and massive inflammation. This chain reaction activates the coagulation cascade—the body’s clotting mechanism—and leads to thrombotic events. Inflammation alters the protective nature of blood vessel linings, making them clot-friendly and dangerous.
Key indicators of vascular injury in COVID-19 patients include high levels of tissue factor (TF), von Willebrand factor (vWF), and decreased ADAMTS-13—factors that promote clotting. Even after recovery, many patients still show signs of endothelial dysfunction, making them prone to future vascular complications.
Neutrophil Traps and a ‘Cytokine Storm’ Add Fuel to the Fire
Another major contributor to this clotting nightmare is the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), web-like structures expelled by white blood cells that, in excessive amounts, can damage tissues and induce clotting. These NETs interact with activated platelets, worsening the situation. Combined with a cytokine storm—where the body’s immune system floods the bloodstream with inflammatory proteins like IL-6 and TNF-alpha—this amplifies the risk of life-threatening clots.
The complement system, another immune defense, also goes haywire in COVID-19, adding to endothelial damage and promoting clotting through a feedback loop of inflammation.
Long-Term Effects and Current Treatments
Even after patients recover, they are not necessarily safe. The review found that some continue to face a significantly higher risk of clots for weeks or months post-infection. Studies involving over 29 million individuals show that the risk of developing PE or DVT post-COVID can be up to three times higher than in those never infected.
Current treatments often involve anticoagulants like heparin or enoxaparin. While clinical trials sho
w these can reduce clot risks, they must be carefully balanced against increased bleeding. The most effective strategies depend on disease severity, with different protocols for hospitalized and non-hospitalized patients. More than 14 clinical trials are already completed, helping refine guidelines and therapeutic approaches.
Conclusion
COVID-19 is far more than a respiratory illness—it is a full-body vascular threat. The virus damages blood vessel linings, sets off inflammatory and clotting responses, and triggers immune imbalances that can lead to deadly outcomes. Even post-recovery, individuals may face prolonged risks. Understanding these mechanisms helps doctors create better treatment plans and offers hope for more effective future therapies.
The study findings were published in the peer reviewed journal: Frontiers in Immunology
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1593885/full
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https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/covid-19-spike-protein-triggers-dangerous-arginine-imbalance-in-blood-vessels
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/sars-cov-2-suppresses-membrane-complement-regulatory-proteins-making-blood-vessels-more-vulnerable-to-damage-
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/covid-19-damages-human-blood-vessels
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