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Is it true that COVID-19 is a blood-clotting disease and should be treated with antibiotics?

No. COVID-19 is caused by a virus (SARS-CoV-2), though some patients with severe infections can develop blood clots. It is thought that the clotting in patients occurs when antibodies that humans produce circulate in the blood, triggering clots in our blood vessels. When this clotting occurs, it is treated with blood thinners. Antibiotics are used for bacterial infections (such as strep throat).

Answered by Dr. Rachael Lee, MD.