Cochrane Corner: The use of anticoagulants in patients hospitalised with COVID -19

In this Cochrane Corner, we highlight the main findings of a Cochrane Review by Flumignan et al. entitled 'Anticoagulants for people hospitalised with COVID-19' and discuss the implications of these findings for research and practice in South Africa. In particular, we underscore the need for additional, high-quality, randomised controlled trials comparing different intensities of anticoagulation in patients with COVID-19 illness. Individuals in the intensive care unit and those hospitalised with another illness who are incidentally found to be infected with SARS-CoV-2 should still only be treated with prophylactic-dose low-molecular-weight heparin.

Automated summary

In this Cochrane Corner, the main findings of a Cochrane Review on anticoagulants for COVID-19 patients are highlighted, along with their implications for research and practice in South Africa. There is a need for more high-quality randomized controlled trials to compare different intensities of anticoagulation in COVID-19 patients. Individuals in the ICU and those hospitalized with other illnesses who are incidentally infected with SARS-CoV-2 should still receive prophylactic-dose low-molecular-weight heparin.