Blood thinners may improve survival odds for hospitalized COVID-19 patients, a study from New York City suggests.

Researchers looked back at 2,773 patients, about one in four of whom had received a high dose of blood clot preventers. Patients who got this treatment were more likely to survive, the researchers reported in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. The difference was most pronounced among the 395 patients who needed mechanical ventilation. In this group, the death rate was 63% without anticoagulants and 29% when patients did get blood thinners.

The researchers note that because the study was not randomized, it cannot prove the drugs directly led to better survival. Large randomized trials are needed to confirm a benefit, researchers said, and any potential benefit needs to be weighed against the increased risk of bleeding with these drugs.

Read the study HERE