Loss of taste and smell, persistent cough, stubborn fever, chills and aches, and maybe blue toes. These are typical symptoms of COVID-19 that we have all come to know too well; yet, much of the virus still remains a mystery, like why some experience no symptoms while others suffer enormously. Many are quick to claim that COVID-19 is no more than a mere cold, but one of the most worrisome aspects is the potential for long-term effects — most concerning, prolonged heart inflammation.
Since early 2020, researchers across the world have been studying how SARS-CoV-2 affects the body, and some of them, such as Valentina Püntmann at the University Hospital Frankfurt, have studied its cardiovascular effects. Through analysis of MRI data and images, Püntmann and her team examined the hearts of 100 COVID-19 patients. The study revealed some startling statistics; 3 out of every 4 patients showed cardiac abnormalities, with two-thirds appearing to have active inflammation. Moreover, they found that the majority of patients in the study reported still having unresolved symptoms, such as shortness of breath and fatigue, even though these scans were taken two to three months after their initial diagnosis. The results from Püntmann and her team indicate that there may be significant long-lasting cardiovascular effects that come with a SARS-CoV-2 infection that have yet to be thoroughly explored.
The results from Püntmann and her team indicate that there may be significant long-lasting cardiovascular effects that come with a SARS-CoV-2 infection that have yet to be thoroughly explored.
These results do not stand alone; other scientists and institutions have come to the same startling conclusions. Particularly, there has been extensive physiological documentation and research of how professional and amateur athletes react to COVID-19 exposure. Just last month, a small study of more than two dozen COVID-19 positive Ohio State University student athletes revealed stunning results about myocarditis, another term for heart inflammation. The researchers found significant evidence for myocarditis in 15 percent of the athletes, and other cellular damage or swelling was found in an additional 30 percent of athletes. Surprisingly, the researchers indicated that very few of the athletes reported having severe symptoms, or even any symptoms at all, despite exhibiting prolonged cardiovascular inflammation.
The concern for lasting physiological damage has not gone unnoticed by those with the responsibility to research and protect the health of collegiate athletes. In May, the cardiology research journal JAMA Cardiology published an article that addresses the numerous studies indicating risks of cardiac inflammation associated with COVID-19 and outlines specific timelines and health plans for recovery for collegiate athletes who test positive for COVID-19. This letter not only addresses relevant healthcare issues in a raging pandemic, but it also inspires further questions: Why is this the first disease to motivate such prompt communication and health plan outlining? Do other diseases, such as the flu or common, also affect the cardiovascular system like COVID-19 does?
Research thus far suggests long-lasting inflammation of the heart that occurs during recovery from COVID-19, but it is not clear that these effects are any greater than that of the flu or a bad case of the common cold.
The answer is that we don’t know. Research thus far suggests long-lasting inflammation of the heart that occurs during recovery from COVID-19, but it is not clear that these effects are any greater than that of the flu or a bad case of the common cold. The cardiovascular effects of more common viruses simply haven’t been studied at all, or at least to the rigor that is required to draw scientific conclusions. Peter Lui, a cardiologist and chief scientific officer of the University of Ottawa Heart Institute, specializes in studying cardiac inflammation and has occasionally studied heart-related phenomena associated with influenza. Lui has preliminarily claimed that it is possible that up to 10 percent of flu patients have transient heart abnormalities that normally remain undetected. This may suggest that the cardiovascular system’s inflammatory response is more common than one would initially expect and that there still needs to be extensive research done in this area across all diseases, common or otherwise.
For now, the best strategy going forward seems to be to wait for more research and insight from the scientists. And, as always, to stay safe, wear masks, and wash your hands.
Image Source: The Noun Project
