Demystifying the conundrum of COVID-19 and cardiovascular system

Abstract

The outbreak of novel Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has emerged as a global pandemic and a public health crisis. COVID-19 is the clinical manifestation of infection with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Although it is predominantly a respiratory illness, there is growing awareness of the cardiovascular manifestations of COVID-19 disease. Patients with pre-existing cardiovascular co-morbidities appear to be at highest risk for mortality from this disease along with the elderly. COVID-19 also contributes to cardiovascular complications, including myocardtits, acute coronary syndromes, arrhythmias, acute heart failure, and, in the most severe cases, cardiogenic shock and death. Several medications proposed in the treatment of this infection have cardiac-specific adverse effects that warrant cardiac monitoring. This review summarizes the rapidly emerging data on the cardiovascular implications of COVID-19.

Keywords

• covid-19
• sars-cov-2
• myocarditis
• heart failure
• arrhythmia