Broadway Actor Nick Cordero Faces Amputation due to COVID-19 Complications
Nick Cordero is an example of the mysterious micro clots that are baffling doctors internationally. He spent three weeks in the Intensive Care Unit with what initially was diagnosed as non-COVID Pneumonia since he tested negative twice when he was admitted. His condition continued to worsen including needing dialysis for his kidneys. A third test was administered and it came back positive. Microclots began to cause problems with Mr. Cordero. He was ventilated and in an induced coma. The blood stopped flowing to his right leg. The blood thinner did not work to alleviate the clot and surgery failed to alleviate it. Amputation was the last resort. Since the amputation, he has also gone into septic shock and broad-spectrum antibiotics were administered.
The Novel Coronavirus. Sars-CoV-2. The Cause of COVID-19
The Novel Coronavirus. The name that caused conspiracy theorists across America to wrongly assume that this virus has been here and the government mutated it to control the population. They were partially correct, the coronavirus has many different strains, so “it” has been “here” before but not this strain. SARS=CoV-2 is the strain of the coronavirus that is causing extreme respiratory disease we all call COVID-19.
Not just a Respiratory Disease
The more patients that become gravely ill with COVID-19, the more complex complications caused by lethal contagions are appearing in patients in Intensive Care Units across the globe. Dr. Craig Coopersmith, Professor of Surgery and Interim Director of the Critical Care Center at the Emory University of Medicine, realized during a morning ICU team conference call with doctors from ten hospitals in Emory University’s Health System in Atlanta that there was a serious problem trending across the city, at the very least, not knowing that the problem was global.
One of the doctors on the call reported that a patient kept developing stubborn blood clots that were resistant to anti-coagulants and the chances of a hand and leg amputation were getting higher. The chances of venous ulcers are elevated as well. Each of the rest of the doctors following reported variances of the same condition: clots causing problems with extremities and vital organs. Some doctors had as many as 40% of their COVID+ patients dealing with clotting issues.
Some of the Known Symptoms of the Problem
In some patients, the problem starts in the legs. Doctors have documented patients’ legs turning blue and swelling from clots. The baffling factor for clinicians is that patients that were already on blood thinners have developed clots that simply will not give in to the medication.
Some patients are presenting with clots in renal arteries that are inevitably causing kidney damage and the need for dialysis. The problem with the dialysis machines is that the clotting blood is clogging and jamming them. At that point, the machines stop filtering the impurities from the patient’s blood. Doctors are reporting the jamming is occurring three or four times a day with one patient. The thrombosis has been documented by ICU physicians.
The mysterious micro clots are also believed to be causing strokes in younger people.
China Forewarns, Emory Listens
China first documented finding lungs full of micro clots in autopsies of COVID19 patients. In March, they then sent a report to the American College of Cardiology showing the importance of watching for micro clots and paying close attention to lab tests such as d-Dimer to trace clots before they become a life-threatening issue.
Emory Hospitals have developed teams that are looking strictly at clotting factors in the blood of COVID+ patients. The goal is to find blood issues in patients before strokes occur, kidneys fail, and limbs are lost.
The doctors and clinicians on the team are utilizing lab tests in attempts to locate and explain the micro clotting mystery. Dr. Tiffany Osborn, Professor of Surgery and Emergency Medicine at Washington University in St. Louis reported that the lab values they are seeing in their patients are “off the wall.” They have seen D-dimer levels that are 100 times the normal amount, suggesting the presence of a large number of blood clots in the patient’s body. Another test that is being run is to check for high levels of thrombin (an enzyme that is known for being the catalyst for the clotting of blood).
The Mystery Remains
The cause of the mysterious micro clots has yet to be determined. Researchers and physicians are working diligently on dedicated teams to understand so they develop a plan of attack when the symptoms arise in future patients.