Covishield is the vaccine for COVID-19 manufactured by SII(Serum Institute Of India) the world's largest manufacturer of vaccines. SII partnered with AstraZeneca for the production of Oxford- AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to distribute in India and other countries which are low and middle-income countries. The covishield vaccine that was developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca together has been distributed all over the world in most countries. After the trials and evaluations in various countries to check the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine it was proven to reduce the severity of the disease(COVID-19). The covishield vaccine was distributed across various channels such as government vaccination problems, international initiatives like COVAX, and many private healthcare providers. More than 175 crore doses of covishield were given in India. As with all other vaccines, Covishield also has a few side effects that weren't proven. The Indian government in May 2021 reported that 26 thromboembolic events were administered after Covishield had begun.
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A person named Jamie Scott has filed the first complaint on the Covishield vaccine that he developed a blot clot and a bleed on his brain leading to severe brain impairment. While now in 2024 AstraZeneca UK-based pharma giant admitted the fact that their “covishield can rarely cause blot clot-related issues such as Thrombocytopenia Syndrome” |
According to the reports by UK media, this issue came out because of the legal documents that were submitted to the High Court in London in February 2024 by a group of 51 members for the side effects caused by Covishield. Now let's understand a few facts about TTS(Thrombocytopenia Syndrome).
What is Thrombocytopenia Syndrome?
What are the symptoms of Thrombocytopenia Syndrome?
How to treat Thrombocytopenia Syndrome?
Without any further delay let's focus on all the things that you should know about thrombocytopenia syndrome.
Understanding Thrombocytopenia Syndrome:
Thrombocytopenia syndrome is a health issue that is characterized by blood clotting (thrombosis) in people with low blood platelet count. Thrombocytes which are also called platelets are colorless blood cells that help blood clot formation. The disease is characterized by unusual blood clots in the brain the abdomen or any other body parts.
Thrombocytopenia also may occur due to several factors other than the covishield vaccine. The most common causes of Thrombocytopenia syndrome include the adenovirus vector in the COVID-19 vaccine, which develops antibodies against platelet factor(PF4) leading to blood clots.
What is a blood clot?
A blood clot which is also known as a thrombus is a gel-like mass formed by the platelets and fibrin that are found in the blood vessels. It is an essential process to suppress wounds or injuries and stop the bleeding, while there are a few health concerns associated with blood clots such as thrombocytopenia syndrome.
Symptoms of thrombocytopenia syndrome :
The symptoms of thrombocytopenia syndrome may vary from person to person according to the severity of the disease. The most commonly seen symptoms include:
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1) Over or easy bruising(purpura). 2) Prolonged bleeding even for minute cuts. 3) Small red or purple color spots on the skin called petechiae. 4) Headaches due to the blood clots in the brain. 5) The blood clots affect the blood vessels in the eye resulting in vision problems such as blurred vision, double vision, and loss of vision in one or both eyes. 6) Difficulty in speaking and numbness in one side of the body are also symptoms of thrombocytopenia syndrome. 7) Shortness of breath, chest pain, and coughing of blood due to the blood clots in the lungs. 8) Leg pain, swelling, redness, and difficulty in walking are also seen in people with thrombocytopenia syndrome. |
Diagnosis:
After evaluating the symptoms a few diagnostic tests are done by the doctors to detect thrombocytopenia syndrome:
Complete blood count:
A complete blood count test is done for people with symptoms of thrombocytopenia to check the platelet (thrombocytes) count.
Blood Smear Test:
The peripheral blood smear test detects problems in platelets or blood clots under a microscope.
Blood Clot Test:
The blood clot is tested for detecting thrombocytopenia, it is of two types such as partial thromboplastin time(PTT) and prothrombin time(PT).
Along with these ultrasound and CT scans are done to detect the clots in different parts of the body such as the chest, abdomen, legs, etc.
Treatment for Thrombocytopenia Syndrome:
The treatment procedure for managing Thrombocytopenia includes:
Medications:The anticoagulants such as heparin, argatroban, and fondaparinux are known to reduce blood clot formation, and corticosteroids to reduce the immune system response associated with TSS. |
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Blood transfusion:
Blood transfusion is done to increase the count of platelets in the blood with healthy blood and to reduce bleeding complications.
While concerns and allegations regarding the covishield vaccine and thrombocytopenia syndrome exist it is crucial to understand that this condition is rare to be developed by people. Continued monitoring and evaluation of the condition is necessary to mitigate all the health issues associated with the covishield vaccination.
