Blood clot risk after Covid-19 infection lasts for almost a year, study says

Researchers say in the first week after contracting Covid-19, people were 21 times more likely to have a heart attack or stroke, reports Furvah Shah

The risk remained relatively low for the general population, with men over the age of 80 most at risk (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

People who have had Covid-19 are at risk of developing blood clots for almost a year after infection, according to a new study.

Researchers at Swansea University and the universities of Bristol, Cambridge, and Edinburgh found that the pandemic may have led to an additional 10,500 cases of heart attacks, strokes and other blood clot complications in England and Wales during 2020 alone.

While the risk remains relatively low, authors suggest that preventive strategies like giving high-risk patients medication to lower their blood pressure could help reduce cases of serious clots.