A small study of five critically ill COVID-19 patients at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City could have major implications for how doctors respond to the virus going forward.

The investigation found patients with the most severe COVID-related pneumonia and respiratory distress showed immediate improvements when they were given drugs that break up blood clots.

Dr. Hooman Poor, Mount Sinai Director of Pulmonary Vascular Disease, led the study. He says physicians across the globe have noticed COVID patients experiencing serious blood clots all over their anatomy and often in the tubes that re-circulate blood during dialysis.