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| Coronavirus May Pose a New Risk to Younger Patients: Strokes | Coronavirus May Pose a New Risk to Younger Patients: Strokes |
| (17 days later) | |
| Ravi Sharma was doubled over on his bed when his father found him. He’d had a bad cough for a week and had self-quarantined in his bedroom. As an emergency medical technician, he knew he was probably infected with the coronavirus. | Ravi Sharma was doubled over on his bed when his father found him. He’d had a bad cough for a week and had self-quarantined in his bedroom. As an emergency medical technician, he knew he was probably infected with the coronavirus. |
| Now, Mr. Sharma, 27, could not move the right side of his body, and could only grunt in his father’s direction. His sister, Bina Yamin, on the phone from her home in Fort Wayne, Ind., could hear the sounds. | Now, Mr. Sharma, 27, could not move the right side of his body, and could only grunt in his father’s direction. His sister, Bina Yamin, on the phone from her home in Fort Wayne, Ind., could hear the sounds. |
| “Call 911,” she told her father. “I think Ravi’s having a stroke.” She was right. | “Call 911,” she told her father. “I think Ravi’s having a stroke.” She was right. |
| Over the next few hours, doctors at a Queens hospital worked frantically to break up a blood clot blocking an artery to Mr. Sharma’s brain. But the doctors were puzzled. | Over the next few hours, doctors at a Queens hospital worked frantically to break up a blood clot blocking an artery to Mr. Sharma’s brain. But the doctors were puzzled. |
| Mr. Sharma was far too young for a stroke. He worked out every day and didn’t have diabetes, high blood pressure or the kinds of medical conditions that can set the stage for strokes in young adults, which are rare. | Mr. Sharma was far too young for a stroke. He worked out every day and didn’t have diabetes, high blood pressure or the kinds of medical conditions that can set the stage for strokes in young adults, which are rare. |
| Neurologists in New York City, Detroit, New Jersey and other parts of the country have reported a flurry of such cases. Many are now convinced that unexplained strokes represent yet another insidious manifestation of Covid-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus. | Neurologists in New York City, Detroit, New Jersey and other parts of the country have reported a flurry of such cases. Many are now convinced that unexplained strokes represent yet another insidious manifestation of Covid-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus. |
| The cases add to evidence that the coronavirus attacks not just the lungs, but also the kidneys, brain, heart and liver. In rare cases, it seems to trigger a life-threatening inflammatory syndrome in children. | The cases add to evidence that the coronavirus attacks not just the lungs, but also the kidneys, brain, heart and liver. In rare cases, it seems to trigger a life-threatening inflammatory syndrome in children. |
| “We’re seeing a startling number of young people who had a minor cough, or no recollection of viral symptoms at all, and they’re self-isolating at home like they’re supposed to — and they have a sudden stroke,” said Dr. Adam Dmytriw, a University of Toronto radiologist who is a co-author of a paper describing patients who suffered strokes related to Covid-19. The paper has not yet been peer reviewed. | “We’re seeing a startling number of young people who had a minor cough, or no recollection of viral symptoms at all, and they’re self-isolating at home like they’re supposed to — and they have a sudden stroke,” said Dr. Adam Dmytriw, a University of Toronto radiologist who is a co-author of a paper describing patients who suffered strokes related to Covid-19. The paper has not yet been peer reviewed. |
| Though many of those patients had diabetes and hypertension, none had heart risks known to increase the odds of a stroke. Many were under age 65. For some, stroke was the first symptom of coronavirus infection, and they postponed going to the emergency room, fearing exposure. | Though many of those patients had diabetes and hypertension, none had heart risks known to increase the odds of a stroke. Many were under age 65. For some, stroke was the first symptom of coronavirus infection, and they postponed going to the emergency room, fearing exposure. |
| Of 10 patients described in Dr. Dmytriw’s paper, two died because the coronavirus attacked their lungs, and two men — a 46-year-old and a 55-year-old — were killed by strokes. | Of 10 patients described in Dr. Dmytriw’s paper, two died because the coronavirus attacked their lungs, and two men — a 46-year-old and a 55-year-old — were killed by strokes. |
| Doctors at Mount Sinai Health System in New York have also seen an unusual number of young stroke patients, saying they treated five such patients with Covid-19 during a recent two-week period. The medical center typically sees only one stroke patient under the age of 50 every three weeks, Dr. Johanna Fifi, a neurologist, and her colleagues noted in a letter in The New England Journal of Medicine. | Doctors at Mount Sinai Health System in New York have also seen an unusual number of young stroke patients, saying they treated five such patients with Covid-19 during a recent two-week period. The medical center typically sees only one stroke patient under the age of 50 every three weeks, Dr. Johanna Fifi, a neurologist, and her colleagues noted in a letter in The New England Journal of Medicine. |
| Four of the five patients were relatively healthy; two patients in their 30s had no known risk factors for stroke. “We came to the conclusion it had to be related to Covid-19,” Dr. Fifi said in an interview. | Four of the five patients were relatively healthy; two patients in their 30s had no known risk factors for stroke. “We came to the conclusion it had to be related to Covid-19,” Dr. Fifi said in an interview. |
| Though strokes seem to affect a very small number of Covid-19 patients, they appear to be related to a broader phenomenon that has emerged in critically ill patients: excessive blood clotting. | Though strokes seem to affect a very small number of Covid-19 patients, they appear to be related to a broader phenomenon that has emerged in critically ill patients: excessive blood clotting. |
| Patients with severe Covid-19 may develop clots in the legs and lungs that can be life-threatening, doctors said. Their blood can be so thick and viscous that it blocks intravenous lines and catheters. Tiny clots in other organs, like the kidneys and liver, have been found in autopsies of coronavirus patients. | Patients with severe Covid-19 may develop clots in the legs and lungs that can be life-threatening, doctors said. Their blood can be so thick and viscous that it blocks intravenous lines and catheters. Tiny clots in other organs, like the kidneys and liver, have been found in autopsies of coronavirus patients. |
| Dr. Michael Yaffe, an intensive care physician at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, called clotting a “hallmark” of the disease, although “not in everyone.” | Dr. Michael Yaffe, an intensive care physician at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, called clotting a “hallmark” of the disease, although “not in everyone.” |
| German scientists reported last week that autopsies of 12 Covid-19 patients turned up a type of blood clot called deep vein thrombosis in seven of them. The cause of death in four patients was another type of blood clot in the lungs, called a pulmonary embolism. | German scientists reported last week that autopsies of 12 Covid-19 patients turned up a type of blood clot called deep vein thrombosis in seven of them. The cause of death in four patients was another type of blood clot in the lungs, called a pulmonary embolism. |
| Clotting is a risk in all critically ill patients if they are immobile for long periods. But patients with the coronavirus have elevated levels of clotting proteins in the blood, and the condition seems to be less responsive to blood-thinning drugs, said Dr. Adam Cuker, an associate professor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. | Clotting is a risk in all critically ill patients if they are immobile for long periods. But patients with the coronavirus have elevated levels of clotting proteins in the blood, and the condition seems to be less responsive to blood-thinning drugs, said Dr. Adam Cuker, an associate professor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. |
| Some evidence suggests that the coronavirus may directly infect the endothelial cells that line the inside of blood vessels, causing injury and swelling that draws proteins that promote clotting, Dr. Cuker said. | Some evidence suggests that the coronavirus may directly infect the endothelial cells that line the inside of blood vessels, causing injury and swelling that draws proteins that promote clotting, Dr. Cuker said. |
| People who have been exposed to the coronavirus, or are managing the infection at home, should call their doctors if they notice chest pain and shortness of breath, which may signal a blood clot in the lung, or leg pain, swelling, redness and discoloration that may indicate a clot. | People who have been exposed to the coronavirus, or are managing the infection at home, should call their doctors if they notice chest pain and shortness of breath, which may signal a blood clot in the lung, or leg pain, swelling, redness and discoloration that may indicate a clot. |
| Until he arrived at Jamaica Hospital on April 1, Mr. Sharma had never been tested for infection with the coronavirus. But he knew he was at risk. He had spent weeks making back-to-back ambulance runs, ferrying sick, elderly patients from nursing homes to hospitals in Brooklyn and Queens in February and March. | Until he arrived at Jamaica Hospital on April 1, Mr. Sharma had never been tested for infection with the coronavirus. But he knew he was at risk. He had spent weeks making back-to-back ambulance runs, ferrying sick, elderly patients from nursing homes to hospitals in Brooklyn and Queens in February and March. |
| By mid-March, Mr. Sharma had developed a dry cough. He went to an urgent care clinic, where he was told that it was out of tests, but that he should stay home because he was probably infected. | By mid-March, Mr. Sharma had developed a dry cough. He went to an urgent care clinic, where he was told that it was out of tests, but that he should stay home because he was probably infected. |
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| At the hospital, emergency room doctors took aggressive steps to restore the blood supply to the left side of his brain. They also diagnosed acute respiratory distress syndrome, finding that Mr. Sharma’s infected lungs were filling with fluid and his blood oxygen levels were low. A test revealed infection with the coronavirus, and he was placed on a ventilator. | At the hospital, emergency room doctors took aggressive steps to restore the blood supply to the left side of his brain. They also diagnosed acute respiratory distress syndrome, finding that Mr. Sharma’s infected lungs were filling with fluid and his blood oxygen levels were low. A test revealed infection with the coronavirus, and he was placed on a ventilator. |
| The doctors were kind but honest with the family, Ms. Yamin said: “They told us that it was 50-50. They didn’t know if he would live or die.” | The doctors were kind but honest with the family, Ms. Yamin said: “They told us that it was 50-50. They didn’t know if he would live or die.” |
| Over the next few days, while Mr. Sharma remained sedated, Ms. Yamin spoke frequently with the doctors and nurses at the hospital, taking meticulous notes that she shared with relatives and with The New York Times. | Over the next few days, while Mr. Sharma remained sedated, Ms. Yamin spoke frequently with the doctors and nurses at the hospital, taking meticulous notes that she shared with relatives and with The New York Times. |
| Mr. Sharma’s body was flooded with blood thinners to prevent additional clots from forming. His fever spiked as high as 104 degrees Fahrenheit some days, raising his heart rate and further incapacitating his lungs. | Mr. Sharma’s body was flooded with blood thinners to prevent additional clots from forming. His fever spiked as high as 104 degrees Fahrenheit some days, raising his heart rate and further incapacitating his lungs. |
| Then, on April 8, Mr. Sharma started having seizures. He was sedated more deeply and put on additional medications. Doctors cranked up the ventilator. | Then, on April 8, Mr. Sharma started having seizures. He was sedated more deeply and put on additional medications. Doctors cranked up the ventilator. |
| By mid-April he had been intubated for two weeks, a period considered a critical make-or-break point for Covid-19 patients, and Ms. Yamin was concerned. No one knew the toll of the stroke itself, or whether Mr. Sharma would be able to walk or talk when he woke up. | By mid-April he had been intubated for two weeks, a period considered a critical make-or-break point for Covid-19 patients, and Ms. Yamin was concerned. No one knew the toll of the stroke itself, or whether Mr. Sharma would be able to walk or talk when he woke up. |
| The left side of the brain controls movement on the right side of the body, as well as speech and language, reading and writing, organizational ability, reasoning and analysis. | The left side of the brain controls movement on the right side of the body, as well as speech and language, reading and writing, organizational ability, reasoning and analysis. |
| “I began to lose faith,” Ms. Yamin recalled in an interview. | “I began to lose faith,” Ms. Yamin recalled in an interview. |
| Then, on April 15, there was some movement on the left side of Ravi’s body, the side not affected by the stroke. His fever ebbed. The staff lowered the ventilator setting, and he tolerated it. | Then, on April 15, there was some movement on the left side of Ravi’s body, the side not affected by the stroke. His fever ebbed. The staff lowered the ventilator setting, and he tolerated it. |
| “Looks like he’s slowly beating this,” Ms. Yamin wrote in a note to the family. “We just need to be patient.” | “Looks like he’s slowly beating this,” Ms. Yamin wrote in a note to the family. “We just need to be patient.” |
| Updated May 28, 2020 | |
| States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. | |
| Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. | |
| Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. | |
| If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) | |
| More than 40 million people — the equivalent of 1 in 4 U.S. workers — have filed for unemployment benefits since the pandemic took hold. One in five who were working in February reported losing a job or being furloughed in March or the beginning of April, data from a Federal Reserve survey released on May 14 showed, and that pain was highly concentrated among low earners. Fully 39 percent of former workers living in a household earning $40,000 or less lost work, compared with 13 percent in those making more than $100,000, a Fed official said. | |
| There is an uptick in people reporting symptoms of chilblains, which are painful red or purple lesions that typically appear in the winter on fingers or toes. The lesions are emerging as yet another symptom of infection with the new coronavirus. Chilblains are caused by inflammation in small blood vessels in reaction to cold or damp conditions, but they are usually common in the coldest winter months. Federal health officials do not include toe lesions in the list of coronavirus symptoms, but some dermatologists are pushing for a change, saying so-called Covid toe should be sufficient grounds for testing. | |
| Yes, but make sure you keep six feet of distance between you and people who don’t live in your home. Even if you just hang out in a park, rather than go for a jog or a walk, getting some fresh air, and hopefully sunshine, is a good idea. | |
| Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications. | |
| The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing. | |
| If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. | |
| If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. | |
| Charity Navigator, which evaluates charities using a numbers-based system, has a running list of nonprofits working in communities affected by the outbreak. You can give blood through the American Red Cross, and World Central Kitchen has stepped in to distribute meals in major cities. | |
| By April 18, Ravi was breathing more on his own. His fever had disappeared, and his blood pressure and heart rate had stabilized. The next day, he woke up, was taken off the ventilator and started breathing on his own. | By April 18, Ravi was breathing more on his own. His fever had disappeared, and his blood pressure and heart rate had stabilized. The next day, he woke up, was taken off the ventilator and started breathing on his own. |
| He still could not speak and didn’t know what had happened to him, but a nurse held up his phone so the family could see him on FaceTime. “We couldn’t stop crying,” Ms. Yamin said. “We just said: ‘Oh my gosh, Ravi, we love you. These are happy tears.’” | He still could not speak and didn’t know what had happened to him, but a nurse held up his phone so the family could see him on FaceTime. “We couldn’t stop crying,” Ms. Yamin said. “We just said: ‘Oh my gosh, Ravi, we love you. These are happy tears.’” |
| Mr. Sharma whispered into the phone for the first time the next day, his throat still sore and hoarse from the ventilator tube. | Mr. Sharma whispered into the phone for the first time the next day, his throat still sore and hoarse from the ventilator tube. |
| Progress continued in baby steps. He ate some applesauce one day, a whole container the next. He started walking using a walker for support. | Progress continued in baby steps. He ate some applesauce one day, a whole container the next. He started walking using a walker for support. |
| After a few weeks of inpatient physical therapy at Nassau University Medical Center, he graduated from a walker to a cane. He walked up stairs, sat in a chair and practiced getting up from the bed on his own. | After a few weeks of inpatient physical therapy at Nassau University Medical Center, he graduated from a walker to a cane. He walked up stairs, sat in a chair and practiced getting up from the bed on his own. |
| A full recovery from a stroke can take months or even years, and Mr. Sharma is also recovering from the lingering effects of Covid-19, which has left him fatigued, and 50 pounds lighter than before his illness, he said in a video interview with The Times. | A full recovery from a stroke can take months or even years, and Mr. Sharma is also recovering from the lingering effects of Covid-19, which has left him fatigued, and 50 pounds lighter than before his illness, he said in a video interview with The Times. |
| But he has made great strides in a short time, and those closest to him say he is still the old Ravi: a social butterfly. | But he has made great strides in a short time, and those closest to him say he is still the old Ravi: a social butterfly. |
| Mr. Sharma boasted that he is everyone’s “favorite patient” at the rehab facility and that he is recovering quickly because staff members have been sneaking him chocolate milk and sweets. | Mr. Sharma boasted that he is everyone’s “favorite patient” at the rehab facility and that he is recovering quickly because staff members have been sneaking him chocolate milk and sweets. |
| “I got the doctors to order me ice cream as part of my diet,” he said. | “I got the doctors to order me ice cream as part of my diet,” he said. |
| He wants to go home, see his family in person, continue to build strength and start building a future with his girlfriend, Leana Soman. They both cried when they were able to video chat for the first time. | He wants to go home, see his family in person, continue to build strength and start building a future with his girlfriend, Leana Soman. They both cried when they were able to video chat for the first time. |
| “He couldn’t speak, his throat was so bad, so I was lip reading,” Ms. Soman recalled. “He said, ‘I love you,’ and I said, ‘I got that — I love you too.’” | “He couldn’t speak, his throat was so bad, so I was lip reading,” Ms. Soman recalled. “He said, ‘I love you,’ and I said, ‘I got that — I love you too.’” |
| Too many people are still cavalier about the coronavirus, Mr. Sharma said, and young people think they are immune. The disease “was like being hit by a bus,” Mr. Sharma said. | Too many people are still cavalier about the coronavirus, Mr. Sharma said, and young people think they are immune. The disease “was like being hit by a bus,” Mr. Sharma said. |
| “I’m 27, and if this could happen to me, it could happen to anyone,” he said. “This is real and it’s scary. I want people to go out there and be cautious.” | “I’m 27, and if this could happen to me, it could happen to anyone,” he said. “This is real and it’s scary. I want people to go out there and be cautious.” |