CDM Projects

The risk of arterial thromboembolism and venous thromboembolism among patients diagnosed with COVID-19 varied by country. This variation was observed among patients initially diagnosed in the ambulatory setting and the hospital setting, and before and during COVID-19 vaccine availability. Differences in healthcare systems, data sources, prevalence of underlying comorbid conditions, and approaches to COVID-19 and thromboembolism case definition may have contributed to the variation in thromboembolism risk estimates observed between countries.

In Canada, an immediate steep decline in valsartan use was observed after the July 2018 recall accompanied by increased switching to other angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) products. Subsequent recalls for losartan and irbesartan were also associated with increased switching, but overall trends in use remained unchanged. Despite availability of uncontaminated ARB products at the time of the recall, findings show that the immediate response was to switch patients to another ARB.

This population-based study of COVID-19 outpatients in three Canadian provinces, demonstrated that use of systemic corticosteroid therapy as a treatment for COVID-19 was limited during the first year of the pandemic.