Do blood thinners protect against coronavirus?

While waiting for a vaccine, the medical profession is mobilizing to provide the best possible care for patients with coronavirus.

Some serious patients were thus treated with anticoagulants.

But can these drugs, which are used to thin the blood, protect against Covid-19?

Doctor Jimmy Mohamed answered this question asked by a listener on Tuesday in the program Sans rendez-vous on Europe 1.

>> Find all of Sans rendez-vous in replay and podcast here

"We initially presented the coronavirus as a respiratory disease, except that we realized that there were a lot of complications related to arteries that will become blocked, with pulmonary embolism. Some patients will have neurological damage with a stroke, which is why some serious patients had to be put on anticoagulants in order to reduce complications and mortality. We have learned a lot in six months but we still have a lot to learn. "

If we are on anticoagulants, we are not protected from Covid?

"No, you should not see it like that. The only thing that will protect you from Covid is wearing a mask. If you are on anticoagulants, it is because you have chronic pathologies which will make you pass into The risk category If you are on anticoagulants, you probably have a heart arrhythmia, a disease that causes you to thin the blood like a pulmonary embolism.

So do not think you are protected by being on anticoagulants.

We should consider ourselves all at risk, since in any case we absolutely do not know, for the moment, if people are not risking anything.

Nothing is known about the aftermath of the coronavirus.

We will look smart if in 10 years we realize that Covid is linked, for example, to an increase in neurological diseases.

The same goes for patients who will have a long Covid, young people who will have symptoms for months with fatigue, chest pain or shortness of breath. "

Donald Trump was treated with aspirin.

Does it work on the same principle as anticoagulants?

"There is the idea, but aspirin has not proven its effectiveness in the treatment of Covid for the moment. Donald Trump has received a fairly large cocktail. But aspirin is not one of these treatments. take as a preventive or curative measure. If you are taking aspirin, continue it, and if you have the Covid you must go to your doctor who may under certain conditions prescribe you anticoagulants. "

Compared to last spring, we treat the Covid better.

What are the other advances?

"Corticosteroids on patients in intensive care have been shown to be effective on mortality, but it is not used in town medicine. Donald Trump has also received corticosteroids. So yes, the disease is treated better, but it is You have to be vigilant. While waiting for a vaccine, you have to wear the mask. "