Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is becoming a global pandemic, is caused by
SARS-CoV-2 infection. In
COVID-19, thrombotic events occur frequently, mainly
venous thromboembolism (VTE), which is closely related to disease severity and clinical prognosis. Compared with historical controls, the occurrence of VTE in hospitalized and critical
COVID-19 patients is incredibly high. However, the pathophysiology of
thrombosis and the best strategies for
thrombosis prevention in
COVID-19 remain unclear, thus needing further exploration. Virchow's triad elements have been proposed as important risk factors for thrombotic diseases. Therefore, the three factors outlined by Virchow can also be applied to the formation of
venous thrombosis in the
COVID-19 setting. A thorough understanding of the complex interactions in these processes is important in the search for effective treatments for
COVID-19. In this work, we focus on the pathological mechanisms of VTE in
COVID-19 from the aspects of endothelial dysfunction,
hypercoagulability, abnormal blood flow. We also discuss the treatment of VTE as well as the ongoing clinical trials of
heparin anticoagulant therapy. In addition, according to the pathophysiological mechanism of COVID-19-associated
thrombosis, we extended the range of antithrombotic drugs including
antiplatelet drugs,
antifibrinolytic drugs, and anti-inflammatory drugs, hoping to find effective
drug therapy and improve the prognosis of VTE in
COVID-19 patients.