In addition to the mechanism behind the rare form of thrombosis, the researchers say, they have also developed a diagnostic tool and a proposed therapy to “clear it up immediately,” Germany’s international broadcaster reported Friday.
The revelation came when countries in Europe resumed doses developed by the British-Swedish pharmaceutical company and the British University of Oxford after days of suspension for fear of the blood clots causing death in some cases.
Deutsche Welle reported the findings of the researchers at the Greifswald University Hospital in Northern Germany with reference to the public broadcaster Norddeutscher Rundfunk.
The study showed how the vaccine caused rare brain thrombosis in a small number of patients, according to the report.
“The discovery means that targeted treatment can be offered to those suffering from a similar clot, using a widely used drug,” he said.
Its success was the result of the collaboration between Greifswald Hospital, the state health regulator Paul Ehrlich Institute, as well as doctors in Austria.
The researchers emphasized that treatment would only be possible in patients who develop blood clots, and not as a preventive treatment.
Symptoms such as persistent headache, dizziness, or impaired vision that persist for more than three days after vaccination require further medical checks, the report said, citing a statement from the German Research Association for Thrombosis and Hemostasis.
Greifswald’s findings have not yet been published in any scientific journal and have therefore not been reviewed by independent experts. The Paul-Ehrlich Institute in Germany is now examining the work of the scientists.