A team of London based researchers has made significant steps in understanding how COVID-19 affects the human body.
In two recently published studies, researchers from Lawson Health Research Institute and Western University have uncovered evidence for predicting how severe a patient’s illness will become and why some COVID-19 patients develop life-threatening blood clots.
The studies were conducted by analyzing blood samples from critically ill patients at London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC), which allowed the team to identify six molecules that can be used as biomarkers. They found that these molecules were elevated in COVID-19 patients who would become even more severely ill.
The research team said their findings could be used to mobilize resources more quickly if a patient is at a higher risk of death.
“When a patient is admitted to ICU, we normally wait to see if they are going to get worse before we consider any risky interventions. To improve outcomes, we not only need new therapies but also a way to predict prognosis or which patients are going to get worse,” said lead researcher Dr. Douglas Fraser in a news release.
In the other study, the team further analyzed the blood samples and found that COVID-19 patients had elevated levels of three molecules. Those molecules facilitated damage to the inner linings of small blood vessels, making them a welcoming environment for small blood cells to stick, which can cause a blood clot.
Clotting in the lung’s small blood vessels is a major complication in most critically ill COVID-19 patients that leads to low oxygen levels in the body.
With this information, the research team has suggested two therapies that would prevent small blood cells from sticking and protect/restore the inner lining of blood vessels.
“By exploring these therapies as potential alternatives to anticoagulant therapies, we may be able to improve patient outcomes,” said Dr. Fraser
The two studies were published this week in the journal Critical Care Explorations.