A new research study had indicated that the deadly strain of novel coronavirus can have a devastating impact not only on lungs or respiratory but it may severely damage the heart muscle as well.
Till now researchers have been focusing on the respiratory issues sparked by the coronavirus outbreak, but now in addition to lung damage, COVID 19 patients are developing heart issues and as a result of that are dying of heart attacks.
Coronavirus case studies that are coming in from China, Italy, as well as Washington State and New York, are being studied by heart experts and they believe the deadly coronavirus can also infect the heart.
What China has to stay?
Since China is where the pandemic first broke out, the first indications that COVID 19 was wreaking havoc on the heart as well came from there. Two studies from China on the prevalence of cardiac problems were among coronavirus patients found that 19% of COVID 19 showed signs of heart damage.
The studies also made another shocking revelation that 51% of COVID 19 patients with heart damage died versus 4.5% who did not have it.
It also found some patients, who previously had no heart issues were found to have signs of cardiac damage and In fact, these patients were more likely to die.
How COVID 19 affects the heart?
With the number of cases rising every passing day, doctors are yet to find a deep understanding of the COVID 19 and its effects on the heart is still being studied. The recent findings of an initial study have found that one in every five COVID 19 patients has shown signs of heart damage, leading to cardiac arrest and death.
What is most critical finding is the fact that even those without previous heart conditions are dying of cardiac damage after contracting coronavirus.
"It's extremely important to answer the question: Is their heart being affected by the virus and can we do something about it?" said Dr. Ulrich Jorde, the head of heart failure, cardiac transplantation and mechanical circulatory support for the Montefiore Health System in New York City told Kaiser Health News.
"This may save many lives in the end."
Robert Bonow, a professor of cardiology at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and editor of the medical journal JAMA Cardiology and man other cardiac specialists now believe that Coronavirus infection can damage the heart in at least four to five ways.
In some patients, the COVID 19 could affect more than one heart pathways at once.
It can cause inflammation that in turn can lead to myocarditis, a condition that weakens the heart muscle and, ultimately causes heart failure.
