Rising cases of COVID-19 bring to fore associated threat of deep vein thrombosis

India has registered a rise in COVID-19 cases beginning from last week of May this year. As of June 16, the country has 7,264 active cases. The World Health Organisation in its recent report (week of May 19 to 25 2025) that SARS-CoV-2 activity was generally low globally, though elevations have been reported in a few countries in Central America and the Caribbean, Tropical South America, South West and Northern Europe, Western Asia, Southern Asia, South-East Asia, and Eastern Asia.While doctors have stressed that there is no need to panic as a majority of the cases are mild and do not require hospitalisation, this spike in cases, has brought to the fore once again, several associated health risks including deep vein thrombosis (DVT) - both during and after infection.

- 

"This risk of DVT remains elevated even after recovery from Covid-19, with the risk ratio increasing up to 70 days post-infection," said Anil Bansal, member, Delhi Medical Association (DMA). The risk is particularly high in the first week after diagnosis. While the risk decreases in subsequent weeks, it remains elevated for several weeks post-infection, he added.Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) occurs when a clot forms in one of the deep veins of the body. This usually occurs in the leg. DVT can be dangerous, as the blood clot can break free and travel through the bloodstream. If the blood clot gets lodged in the lung and blocks blood flow, it can lead to pulmonary embolism, which can be life threatening.

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) occurs with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE). It can result in significant mortality, morbidity, and healthcare costs. Approximately 30% of patients with symptomatic VTE manifest with PE, and others with DVT. The incidence of DVT in India in the general population is about 1.79 per thousand. More than 50% of post-surgical procedure patients are at risk of developing VTE. The prevailing notion that the incidence of VTE in Asians is less than that in the Western population has been disproved by recent reports.