COVID-19 causes sudden strokes in adults younger than 50, doctors say

MEANS FOR SMOKERS, MARLEI MARTINEZ TALKED TO RESEARCHERS. MARLEI: UC DAVIS HEALTH IS TRYING TO PREVENT THE SPREAD. WARNING CANCER PATIENTS NOW. THEY ARE SENDING LETTERS TO CURRENT AND FORMER SMOKERS, WARNING THEM THAT SMOKING DOUBLES THE RISK OF RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS. THE COULD LEAD TO WORSE COVID-19 CASES. YOU MIGHT NEED MECHANICAL VENTILATION, HELP WITH BREATHING OR BE AT GREATER RISK FOR DYING. MARLEI: SHE IS THE MEDICAL DIRECTOR FOR UC DAVIS IS STOP TOBACCO PROGRAM. >> IT MAKES SENSE IF YOUR LUNGS HAVE INJURY TO THEM. IT MAY BE FROM INJURY OVER TIME. MARLEI: DOES THAT APPLY FOR PEOPLE WHO VAPE OR SMOKE MARIJUANA? >> IF YOU THINK OF IT IN TERMS OF INHALING AEROSOLS AND CHEMICALS, THAT KIND OF INFLAMMATION MAY INJURE YOUR LUNGS AND PUT YOU AT GREATER RISK FOR YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM BEING ABLE TO FIGHT BACK. MARLEI: THIS COMES AS RESEARCHERS AT THE NICOTINE CENTER FOUND THAT SMOKERS SICK WITH COVID WERE 14 TIMES MORE LIKELY TO NEED INTENSIVE RESPIRATORY ASSISTANCE. NO SURPRISE TO THE AMERICAN LUNG ASSOCIATION. >> WE ALWAYS ENCOURAGE INDIVIDUALS TO ENCOURAGE STOPPING SMOKING, BUT THAT HAS NEVER BEEN MORE RELEVANT THAN A TIME LIKE THIS. MARLEI: IMPORTANT FINDINGS FOR FAMILY AND FRIENDS EXPOSED TO SECONDHAND SMOKE. RESEARCHERS ARE ASKING PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENTS TO HELP BY PROHIBITING SMOKING AT PUBLIC PARKS, STOREFRONTS AND MULTIUNIT HOMES. THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT ENCOURAGING PEOPLE WHO SMOKE OR VAPE QUITTING. NOW UC DAVIS IS MAILING PEOPLE A FREE TWO WEEK SUPPLY OF NICOTINE PATCHES. >> THIS IS SOMETHING THAT CAN JUMPSTART THEIR QUITTING ATTEMPT AT HOME. MARLEI:

Video above: Smokers at greater risk of contracting COVID-19, researchers sayThe new coronavirus appears to be causing sudden strokes in adults in their 30s and 40s who are not otherwise terribly ill, doctors reported Wednesday.They said patients may be unwilling to call 911 because they have heard hospitals are overwhelmed by coronavirus cases.There's growing evidence that COVID-19 infection can cause the blood to clot in unusual ways, and stroke would be an expected consequence of that.Dr. Thomas Oxley, a neurosurgeon at Mount Sinai Health System in New York, and colleagues gave details of five people they treated. All were under the age of 50, and all had either mild symptoms of COVID-19 infection or no symptoms at all."The virus seems to be causing increased clotting in the large arteries, leading to severe stroke," Oxley told CNN."Our report shows a seven-fold increase in incidence of sudden stroke in young patients during the past two weeks. Most of these patients have no past medical history and were at home with either mild symptoms (or in two cases, no symptoms) of COVID," he added."All tested positive. Two of them delayed calling an ambulance."Other doctors have also reported that people are reluctant to call 911 or go to emergency rooms because of the pandemic.It is not common for people so young to have strokes, especially strokes in the large vessels in the brain."For comparison, our service, over the previous 12 months, has treated on average 0.73 patients every 2 weeks under the age of 50 years with large vessel stroke," the team wrote in a letter to be published in the New England Journal of Medicine. That's fewer than two people a month.A stroke in a large blood vessel causes severe damage if it is not removed right away. At least one patient has died, and others are in rehabilitation facilities, intensive care or in the stroke unit. Only one went home but will require intense care, Oxley said."The average person who has a large vessel stroke is severely impaired," Oxley said. "It means it a bigger clot. It includes one of the largest arteries in the brain."Brain cells die when blood flow is stopped, and the longer it's blocked, the wider the damage in the brain. Quick treatment is vital. "The most effective treatment for large vessel stroke is clot retrieval, but this must be performed within 6 hours, and sometimes within 24 hours," Oxley said.Oxley said his team wanted to tell people to watch themselves for symptoms of coronavirus infection and to call 911 if they have any evidence of stroke."Up until now, people have been advised to only call for an ambulance with shortness of breath or high fever," he wrote.The easy memory device for stroke, he said, is "FAST": F for face drooping, A for arm weakness, S for speech difficulty and T for time to call 911.

Video above: Smokers at greater risk of contracting COVID-19, researchers say

The new coronavirus appears to be causing sudden strokes in adults in their 30s and 40s who are not otherwise terribly ill, doctors reported Wednesday.

They said patients may be unwilling to call 911 because they have heard hospitals are overwhelmed by coronavirus cases.

There's growing evidence that COVID-19 infection can cause the blood to clot in unusual ways, and stroke would be an expected consequence of that.

Dr. Thomas Oxley, a neurosurgeon at Mount Sinai Health System in New York, and colleagues gave details of five people they treated. All were under the age of 50, and all had either mild symptoms of COVID-19 infection or no symptoms at all.

"The virus seems to be causing increased clotting in the large arteries, leading to severe stroke," Oxley told CNN.

"Our report shows a seven-fold increase in incidence of sudden stroke in young patients during the past two weeks. Most of these patients have no past medical history and were at home with either mild symptoms (or in two cases, no symptoms) of COVID," he added.

"All tested positive. Two of them delayed calling an ambulance."

Other doctors have also reported that people are reluctant to call 911 or go to emergency rooms because of the pandemic.

It is not common for people so young to have strokes, especially strokes in the large vessels in the brain.

"For comparison, our service, over the previous 12 months, has treated on average 0.73 patients every 2 weeks under the age of 50 years with large vessel stroke," the team wrote in a letter to be published in the New England Journal of Medicine. That's fewer than two people a month.

A stroke in a large blood vessel causes severe damage if it is not removed right away. At least one patient has died, and others are in rehabilitation facilities, intensive care or in the stroke unit. Only one went home but will require intense care, Oxley said.

"The average person who has a large vessel stroke is severely impaired," Oxley said. "It means it [was] a bigger clot. It includes one of the largest arteries in the brain."

Brain cells die when blood flow is stopped, and the longer it's blocked, the wider the damage in the brain. Quick treatment is vital. "The most effective treatment for large vessel stroke is clot retrieval, but this must be performed within 6 hours, and sometimes within 24 hours," Oxley said.

Oxley said his team wanted to tell people to watch themselves for symptoms of coronavirus infection and to call 911 if they have any evidence of stroke.

"Up until now, people have been advised to only call for an ambulance with shortness of breath or high fever," he wrote.

The easy memory device for stroke, he said, is "": F for face drooping, A for arm weakness, S for speech difficulty and T for time to call 911.

��vlog