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Covid and strokes

6 replies

SilverDragonfly1 · 25/03/2021 11:43

I haven't posted any threads here before and don't use the board often for various reasons. So apologies if this is something that's been done to death.

My brother in law caught covid in December and was hospitalised for nearly 3 weeks, including several days in HDU. Escaped ventilation by a whisker, but he did escape it and came home weak but positive.

He improved very quickly once home and was back at work on light duties. Everyone was very relieved and impressed at his recovery speed.

He noticed his peripheral vision was disturbed and at first thought it was tiredness, but he got an appointment at the eye hospital anyway for safety. After looking at his eyes, he was told he would need to surrender his driving licence because they believe he had a 'mini stroke' while he was ill and the damage to his brain had shut down part of his vision.

It may be common knowledge that covid by itself is a genuine risk factor for stoke in younger, healthy people. BIL is mid 50's and physically fit from doing a manual job. I had no idea, so am posting for other people who didn't know and may want to factor this risk into their covid planning.

Link below- although there seem to be extra characters, the clickable bit works correctly.

www.stroke.org.uk/news/does-coronavirus-cause-stroke-look-current-research#:~:text=Dr%20Richard%20Francis%2C%20Stroke%20Association,to%20be%20younger%20than%20expected.

OP posts:
lightand · 25/03/2021 11:51

Sorry to hear about your bil.

Thanks for your op. Havent clicked on the link yet.
I deliberately try not to see too many adverts, but am constantly seeing an NHS advert about strokes. I thought it was all a bit strange, but now am thinking it could be because of what you posted.

Cornettoninja · 25/03/2021 14:06

I believe covid is known to cause blood clotting, I remember reading early accounts from medics about one of the clinical signs being that cannulas would block with clots.

I think it’s right that you draw attention to it. I don’t know the numbers for strokes, DVT’s etc for the last twelve months but wouldn’t be surprised to see an increase or read of a link to mild/asymptomatic cases. My df had a stroke at a young age (early forties) and it did make me wonder what flu strain was around that year and whether it had a viral trigger. He had other risk factors too but nothing that had affected him up to that point.

I hope your BIL continues with a good recovery.

MargaretThursday · 25/03/2021 14:11

There's a blood clotting issue with covid so it does raise the risk for strokes and heart attacked. I can't remember when I saw it, but I remember reading something about the excess deaths in the first wave over the covid ones were disproportionally heart attacks and strokes, which was one of the things that raised the alarm into the blood clotting.

Anecdotally, I know three people in the last month who have had their first mini stroke. None of them know they have had covid, but two of them think they had some symptoms/exposure in the first wave.

HolmeH · 25/03/2021 14:53

Way more chance of a blood clot from covid than the vaccine..

I don’t think covid during the early part of 2020 would the cause of a mini stroke in 2021. The virus doesn’t stay in your body, your immune system does eventually win (or it sadly doesn’t & you die). A virus can leave lasting damage such as heart damage, lung damage from the time the virus was very present in the body & attacking it. A stroke is caused by a blood clot, your blood can become sticky with serious covid & when the virus is going crazy. It doesn’t leave your blood sticky though, it returns to normal once the virus is gone. Unless your friends mini strokes happened back in 2020 and have only just been noticed? That can happen. My Granny went into hospital last year after a fall & they found she’d had a mini stroke probably months prior.. !

MRex · 25/03/2021 15:01

@HolmeH - she said he caught covid in December, 3 weeks in hospital presumably into January, recovering at home when he missed the mini stroke... The timeline looks like covid is a very strong possibility.

@SilverDragonfly1 - it's a very weird disease. I hope your BIL makes a full recovery soon.

KeepWashingThoseHands · 25/03/2021 16:39

Think it’s 20-40% increased chance of blood clotting if you have COVID and are hospitalised i.e. severe cases.

Sorry to hear about your BIL.

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