Coronavirus and cardiovascular manifestations- getting to the heart of the matter.

Abstract

Coronavirus disease has unarguably been the largest pandemic of recent times. Over 150 million cases have occurred worldwide, and more than 3 million have succumbed to the disease. Cardiac manifestations can have varied presentations from an asymptomatic troponin rise to fulminant myocarditis. The pathogenesis of myocardial damage could be direct or indirect, including inflammation, coronary spasm, plaque rupture, and cytokine storm. Thromboembolism is also an important feature of cardiovascular affliction with both arterial and venous systems being affected. Hence, anticoagulation has also been a matter of debate. Fulminant myocarditis is the most severe form and can lead to circulatory shock with a high mortality. Management of cardiac patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection is not considerably different from non-COVID-19 cardiovascular disease, but interaction between cardiovascular drugs and anti-COVID-19 therapy requires careful attention. More recently, vaccines have emerged as a ray of hope for the disease. But simultaneously, there have been reports of thromboembolism following vaccination. In this review, we discuss the various aspects of coronavirus disease affecting of heart and its management.