A Covid blood-thinner drug does not work, causes side effects: Study

A blood thinning drug, widely administered to Covid patients who have been discharged from hospital has been found by a study to be not working and having serious side-effects. The research has reportedly shown that Apixaban, the drug in question, can cause severe bleeding. The anticoagulant is often called to be 'life saving for the patients.

However, Heal Covid trial, UK government funded initiative has found that this may not be the case.

“These first findings from Heal-Covid show us that a blood-thinning drug, commonly thought to be a useful intervention in the post-hospital phase, is actually ineffective at stopping people dying or being readmitted to hospital," said Professor Charlotte Summers, chief investigator of the trial. She was quoted by The Guardian.

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“This finding is important because it will prevent unnecessary harm occurring to people for no benefit,” Summers added. She is intensive care doctor at Addenbrooke's hospital in Cambridge, UK.

“This trial is the first robust evidence that longer anticoagulation after acute Covid-19 puts patients at risk for no clear benefit," said Dr Mark Toshner, the co-chief investigator of the study.

“Our hope is that these results will stop this drug being needlessly prescribed to patients with Covid-19 and we can change medical practice,” he added.

The trial was run by experts at Addenbrooke's and Cambridge University. 402 volunteers were given the drug. Several of them suffered severe bleeding and had to discontinue the drug. The trail also found that administering Apixaban did not significant lower likelihood of recovered patients getting admitted to hospital.

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