I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. William Li, President and Medical Director of the Angiogenesis Foundation, about his recent NEJM article about COVID-19. Dr. Li and colleagues examined the lungs of 7 patients with COVID-19 obtained at autopsy and compared them to lungs of patients who had died by the flu as well as normal controls. COVID-19 lungs had distinctive vascular features that included severe endothelial injury and disrupted cell membranes. There was also widespread microangiopathy and excess of new vessel growth, 2.7 times higher than the lungs of patients who died from influenza (p<0.001). These findings speak to the question of whether COVID-19 patients should be anticoagulated to prevent thrombotic events such as COVID toe, DVT, PE, and large vessel stroke. To hear our 20 minute discussion, please follow this link to our Medscape interview: https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/931591
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