Abstract
In the course of human history, we encountered several devastating waves of pandemics, affecting millions of lives globally and now the rapid and progressive spread of the novel SARS-CoV-2, causing Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has created a worldwide wave of crisis. Profoundly straining national health care systems, it also significantly impacted the global economic stability. With the introduction of COVID-19 measures, mainly driven by immunization drives, casualties due to the virus were reported to decrease considerably. But then comes into play the post-Covid morbidities, along with their short and long-term effects on the elderly and the co-morbid population. Moreover, the pediatric population and the otherwise healthy cohort of the young athletes were also reported being largely affected by the varying amount of post-recovery virus-induced Cardiac manifestations, in the subsequent waves of the pandemic. Therefore, here we thrived to find answers to the seemingly unending series of questions that popped up with the advent of the disease, nevertheless, there still lies a blind spot in understanding the impacts of the disease on the Cardiovascular Health of an individual, even after the clinical recovery. Thus, along with the current data related to the diverse cardiovascular complications due to SARS-COV-2 infection, we suggest long-term ‘Cardiac surveillance' for the COVID-19 recovered individuals.
Highlights
In late 2019, a cluster of cases of “pneumonia of unknown origin,” emerged, the epicenter of which was linked to the seafood wholesale market in Wuhan, China, that heralded the onset of Coronavirus disease [1]
In the setting of coronavirus disease, downregulation of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection might be involved in mediating cardiovascular damage, besides, the medications that have been proposed as treatments for COVID-19 such as hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin have pro-arrhythmic effects, AF, atrial fibrillation; VF, ventricular fibrillation; VT, ventricular tachycardia [38]
Long-term observation and prospective study design (Cardiac Surveillance) on the viability of treatments, explicit for myocardial injury are of utmost significance
Summary
In late 2019, a cluster of cases of “pneumonia of unknown origin,” emerged, the epicenter of which was linked to the seafood wholesale market in Wuhan, China, that heralded the onset of Coronavirus disease [1]. Recent literature reported serious cardiovascular complications occurring in about 10–20% of hospitalized patients, apart from the respiratory effects of COVID-19; and the patients who suffered from pre-existing heart ailments may suffer either a heart attack or congestive heart failure [5] This deciphers distinct characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 in its comprehensive cardiac involvement, which could be a consequence of the exposure of the virus to millions due to the pandemic. The most recent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), displayed tropism for the heart and can lead to myocarditis (inflammation of the heart), necrosis of its cells, mimicking heart attacks, arrhythmias, and acute or protracted heart failure (muscle dysfunction) [3] These complications, which at times are the sole features of COVID19 clinical presentation, have occurred even in the cases with milder symptoms and in people who did not experience any symptoms. In the setting of coronavirus disease, downregulation of ACE2 by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection might be involved in mediating cardiovascular damage, besides, the medications that have been proposed as treatments for COVID-19 such as hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin have pro-arrhythmic effects, AF, atrial fibrillation; VF, ventricular fibrillation; VT, ventricular tachycardia [38]
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