A new challenge of unfractionated heparin anticoagulation treatment for moderate to severe COVID-19 in Japan

Abstract

Hypercoagulation and anticoagulation treatment have become new challenges in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. We herein suggest an algorithm for an anticoagulation treatment with unfractionated heparin in moderate to severe COVID-19 cases in Japan, and report a case of COVID-19 pneumonia with anticoagulation treatment. Although several promising drugs for COVID-19 are being tested in clinical trials, definitive treatments have not yet been established. In this report, we demaonstrate that anticoagulation treatment with unfractionated heparin has the possibility of becoming at least a supportive treatment for COVID-19 patients.