Can Covid-19 Give Young People Strokes
maybe is the too short and dissatisfying answer
Can COVID-19 Give Young People Strokes
Let’s get some clarity, as much as is possible now, on COVID-19 and strokes. SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the COVID-19 disease, was first known to exist a handful of months ago. We are all at the frontiers of science with the novel coronovirus, and there is still much to learn about what it does to the human body. This is frustrating, but we are all in the uncertainty together. As time goes by, more details and consensus will come. “A stroke occurs when the blood supply to part of your brain is interrupted or reduced, preventing brain tissue from getting oxygen and nutrients. Brain cells begin to die in minutes,” says the Mayo Clinic. This is bad for you whether the novel coronavirus is making them happen or not.
People typically less likely to suffer strokes, have had them with Covid-19. This is unusual, maybe more than 6 times normal. The New England Journal of Medicine says, “five patients [under 50 years old] tested positive for Covid-19,” and presented with stroke symptoms. During the same time period previously “0.73 patients younger than 50 years of age with large-vessel stroke” were encountered.
A sixfold increase is not good. Recently, at home deaths in New York City reached a level 6 times normal. A sixfold increase. Mayor Bill de Blasio said to Reuters, “it’s right to assume the vast majority are coronavirus related.” The New York Times points out “the broader effects of the pandemic might have also increased deaths indirectly” through the over-extension of medical abilities, delays in emergency services and other factors. Some might be from people fearful they’d contract COVID-19 if they went to a hospital so they didn’t seek medical attention. If you need help, seek it.
Other cities have also been seeing increases in at home deaths too. It may never be known precisely whether these increased deaths are from COVID-19 and stoke since many were not autopsied. It’s possible at least some of these increases come from strokes brought on by COVID-19 in people who were otherwise asymptomatic.
This is scary, as much of this pandemic is.
All people can have strokes, regardless of age, predisposition, risk factors or lifestyle. That’s the bad news. The good news is there are things we can do to make our chances better. Seek medical attention if you think someone is having a stroke; quick medical help can save someone’s life and brain functions.
Will compression socks help prevent strokes?
I asked Sheila Martins, a stroke neurologist, President of Brazilian Stroke Network and a Vice President at the World Stroke Organization, if they could. “There is no problem to use compression socks but it will not protect from strokes.” She went on to say compression socks can help to protect against blood clots forming in veins in your legs, a deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Clots from a DVT can travel to your lungs and block blood vessels there (a pulmonary embolism). This causes both low oxygen levels and damage throughout the body.
This matters even more now because of what Suhas Bajgur, a neurology resident at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, pointed out: “quarantine/lockdown may be leading to an extreme form of sedentary lifestyle,” and walking around less is associated with Deep Vein Thrombosis and Pulmonary Embolism (DVT/PE). The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) agree: they too include “sitting for a long time, especially with crossed legs” among the risk factors for DVT/PE. They go on to say they are “often underdiagnosed and serious, but preventable medical conditions.”
Bajgur clarified further that clotting in legs can sometimes lead to strokes. So preventing DVT/PE isn’t just good for your blood vessels and lungs, but also your brain. Since your brain counts on your blood vessels and lungs for quite a lot, keeping them all healthy sounds like a good idea anyway.
Unfortunately, the answer “maybe” to “can the coronavirus give me a stroke” is not comforting, but there are things we can each do to lower our stroke risk. This helps us keep healthy no matter what viruses or other things we encounter.
What can you do to reduce your risk for Stroke and DVT/PE?
It turns out quite a bit. The first thing is simple: don’t be still too long.
Sitting for long periods of time is not healthy, and standing up can help keep blood flowing well. Even better to vary positions and move around. This has other benefits too.
“Given the research, breaking up long blocks of sitting to flex your muscles seems like a wise move for all of us, so try to build more activity into your day. Set a timer to remind you to get up and move around every so often. Take your phone calls standing up. Try an adjustable standing desk for your computer. Instead of sitting in an armchair while watching TV, sit on a stability ball, which makes you use your muscles to stay upright.” — Harvard Health Publishing
Being more active is a good way to try to lower the risk of a stroke. You can also:
- Keep your blood pressure healthy. If it’s high, figure out with your doctor a personal strategy to bring it down to the normal range. This may include being a healthy weight, eating well (eat less salt/saturated fat and more fruits and vegetables to increase potassium in your diet) and getting more exercise.
- Smoke less or quit. Smoking raises blood pressure, makes your blood clot more easily and increases blockage in the arteries that supply blood to the brain. Your doctor can help you quit.
- Drink alcohol in moderation. Heavy drinking and binge drinking can have a number of unhealthy outcomes, including higher risk of strokes.
- Take fewer illegal drugs. Many, like cocaine and methamphetamine, increase your risk of stroke.
- Be physically active. This one’s benefits are worth repeating since it’s something we have some control over right now, even during lockdown. Walk around your house, or while maintaining a safe distance from others and wearing a mask, walk around your neighborhood.
To help prevent blood clots in your legs from forming, the CDC suggests:
- get up and walk around every 2 to 3 hours
- exercise your legs while you’re sitting: raise and lower your heels with your toes on the floor, raise and lower your toes with your heels on the floor
- tighten and release your leg muscles while sitting
- wear loose-fitting clothes.
The healthier you are now the healthier you will be. Work with your doctor to keep your blood pressure, cholesterol, weight and diet healthy. Be active. Also follow through with treatment for any conditions you have, like heart disease, lung disease, cancer, diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis) and anything else.
Long after this pandemic has passed, far in the future, we can still do these things to be well. In the meantime, stay home when you can and wash your hands. When you can’t stay home, wear a mask, stay at least 6 feet from others and wash your hands. Be active and be well.
About Me
David August is an award-winning actor, writer, director and producer. He plays a role in the movie Dependent’s Day, and after its theatrical run it’s now out on Amazon Prime. He has appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live on ABC, on the TV show Ghost Town, and many others. Off screen, he has worked at ad agencies, start-ups, production companies and major studios helping them tell stories their customers and clients adore. He has guest lectured at USC’s Marshall School of Business about the internet.
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