Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) Coronavirus (CoV)-2 is a recently identified positive sense single-strand RNA (ssRNA) β-coronavirus. The viral spike proteins infect human hosts by binding to the cellular receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). The infection causes a systemic illness involving cell metabolism. This widespread involvement is implicated in the pathophysiology of the illness which ranges from mild to severe, requiring multi organ support, ranging from oxygen supplementation to full cardiovascular and respiratory support. Patients with multiple co-existing comorbidities are also at a higher risk. The aim of this review is to explore the exact mechanisms by which COVID-19 affects patients systemically with a primary focus on the bleeding and thrombotic complications linked with the disease. Issues surrounding the thrombotic complications following administration of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (Astra-Zeneca-Oxford) vaccine have also been illustrated. Risk stratification and treatment options in these patients should be tailored according to clinical severity with input from a multidisciplinary team.
Keywords: SARS-CoV-2 infection; cytokines; inflammation; metabolism; thrombosis.