New Studies Link the Coronavirus to Heart Problems
Heart issues may be yet another symptom to add to Covid-19’s long list
Yet another symptom: heart problems. Part of what makes the novel coronavirus so puzzling is its ability to cause a wide range of symptoms from a severe cough, to a lost sense of smell, and now, as scientists report, heart damage. A new study published in the medical journal JAMA Cardiology by physicians in a Wuhan, China hospital reports that 20% of people hospitalized with Covid-19 had some heart damage, and many had no underlying heart conditions. The risk of dying was four times higher among people with heart complications than those without.
JAMA Cardiology also published a study from Italian physicians about a previously healthy woman with Covid-19 who developed heart inflammation. The link between coronavirus and heart complications is not fully understood, but experts say it’s likely either the virus causes the damage, or the damage is caused by a person’s immune system responding to the infection.
The New York Times has a great summary of the findings. The JAMA Cardiology papers are also free for viewing. Read all three below.
