Vancouver doctor, patient raising awareness about dangerous condition linked to COVID-19

Dangerous complication of COVID-19 A Vancouver hospital is raising the alarm about a dangerous complication from COVID-19 that you may not have heard about.

Vancouver — There’s a dangerous complication from COVID-19 you might not know about.

But 29-year-old Jordan Hoey and doctors at St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver are trying to raise awareness about what it is and how serious it can be.

“Honestly, I was terrified. It was nothing I was expecting when I first got that positive diagnosis,” Hoey said in an interview with CTV News.

Last May, Hoey ended up testing positive for COVID-19 .

“My partner works in health care. There was an outbreak in her workplace,” he explained. “I was pretty scared. It was quite shocking, for sure.”

He battled the virus, but just as he thought he was turning a corner in the right direction, his health took a turn for the worse.

“A couple days after the fevers ended, I started getting a bit of chest pain and then noticing a little bit of red when I was coughing."

And it didn’t improve.

“I coughed, filled the whole inside of the mask with blood. We knew it was time to go to the emergency room right away,” he said.

At St. Paul’s Hospital, he says, a CT scan revealed multiple pulmonary embolisms.

Dr. Anna Rahmani of the hospital's thrombosis clinic said they've been seeing an increase in blood clots associated with COVID-19 infections.

The doctor told CTV News that while incidents of blood clots are higher in COVID-19 patients who are hospitalized, they are also seeing the condition in patients like Hoey who are young and otherwise healthy.

“Blood clots don’t really discriminate. They can affect any age, race,” Rahmani explained.

She said it's crucial that people know the warning signs.

“Signs and symptoms of blood clot in the leg include tenderness, redness, increased swelling and pain,” Rahmani said.

But she said there are other signs people might be less familiar with.

“Symptoms and signs of blood clot in the lung (like Hoey experienced) include increasing shortness of breath, cough, bloody cough. Some people even experience dizziness and light headedness,” she said, urging anyone with symptoms to seek medical help right away.

Meanwhile, Hoey has only recently returned to working from home on a part-time basis as he continues to recover.

“I’m getting better but I’m not what I used to be yet,” he said.

“People need to be more aware of the serious side effects and serious complications of COVID itself. It’s not just a flu. It will take you out.”

On Thursday, Nov. 26 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., the thrombosis clinic at St. Paul’s will be presenting a free public Zoom session. You can find out more information here.