COVID-19: Implications for People with Chagas Disease
Ezequiel José Zaidel,
Colin J. Forsyth,
Gabriel Novick,
Rachel Marcus,
Antonio Luiz P. Ribeiro,
María-Jesus Pinazo,
Carlos A. Morillo,
Luis Eduardo Echeverría,
Maria Aparecida Shikanai-Yasuda,
Pierre Buekens,
Pablo Perel,
Sheba K. Meymandi,
Kate Ralston,
Fausto Pinto,
Sergio Sosa-Estani
Affiliations
Ezequiel José Zaidel
Sanatorio Güemes, Buenos Aires; Pharmacology Department, School of Medicine, University of Buenos Aires
Colin J. Forsyth
Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative-Latin America, Rio de Janeiro
Gabriel Novick
Swiss Medical Group, Buenos Aires, AR; Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, Boston
Rachel Marcus
Latin American Society of Chagas, Washington, DC
Antonio Luiz P. Ribeiro
Internal Medicine Department, School of Medicine, Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte; Hospital das Clínicas, UFMG, Belo Horizonte
María-Jesus Pinazo
ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic – University of Barcelona, Barcelona
Carlos A. Morillo
Libin Cardiovascular Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary
Luis Eduardo Echeverría
Department of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Foundation of Colombia, Floriblanca
Maria Aparecida Shikanai-Yasuda
Department of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo
Pierre Buekens
Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans
Pablo Perel
World Heart Federation, Geneva, CH; Department of Non-communicable Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London
Sheba K. Meymandi
Center of Excellence for Chagas Disease at Olive View-UCLA Medical Center, Sylmar
Kate Ralston
World Heart Federation, Geneva
Fausto Pinto
World Heart Federation, Geneva, CH; Department of Cardiology, CCUL, Lisbon School of Medicine, Universidade de Lisboa
Sergio Sosa-Estani
Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative-Latin America, Rio de Janeiro, BR; Epidemiology and Public Health Research Center, (CIESP-CONICET), Buenos Aires
As the global COVID-19 pandemic advances, it increasingly impacts those vulnerable populations who already bear a heavy burden of neglected tropical disease. Chagas disease (CD), a neglected parasitic infection, is of particular concern because of its potential to cause cardiac, gastrointestinal, and other complications which could increase susceptibility to COVID-19. The over one million people worldwide with chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy require special consideration because of COVID-19’s potential impact on the heart, yet the pandemic also affects treatment provision to people with acute or chronic indeterminate CD. In this document, a follow-up to the WHF-IASC Roadmap on CD, we assess the implications of coinfection with SARS-CoV-2 and 'Trypanosoma cruzi', the etiological agent of CD. Based on the limited evidence available, we provide preliminary guidance for testing, treatment, and management of patients affected by both diseases, while highlighting emerging healthcare access challenges and future research needs.
