Surviving Covid-19 with Heparin?

This editorial reviews evolving evidence on anticoagulation strategies for hospitalized Covid-19 patients, emphasizing the role of heparin. Patients with moderate illness appear to benefit from therapeutic-dose heparin or low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH), showing increased survival and reduced need for organ support. In contrast, critically ill patients showed no significant improvement and experienced more bleeding. Factors such as disease severity, geographic differences in trial populations, and inconsistent dosing protocols may explain these disparities. The author calls for cautious application of high-dose anticoagulation in moderate cases and recommends further research to refine thrombosis prevention strategies in severe Covid-19.

This editorial reviews evolving evidence on anticoagulation strategies for hospitalized Covid-19 patients, emphasizing the role of heparin. Patients with moderate illness appear to benefit from therapeutic-dose heparin or low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH), showing increased survival and reduced need for organ support. In contrast, critically ill patients showed no significant improvement and experienced more bleeding. Factors such as disease severity, geographic differences in trial populations, and inconsistent dosing protocols may explain these disparities. The author calls for cautious application of high-dose anticoagulation in moderate cases and recommends further research to refine thrombosis prevention strategies in severe Covid-19.