New studies show that 1 in 5 hospitalized COVID-19 patients have indications of heart injury. In addition to lung damage, numerous COVID-19 patients are likewise developing heart issues and dying of heart failure.
COVID-19 attacks the body's respiratory system which leads to fatal complications like pneumonia or organ failure. But it seems like the virus is also targeting another major organ: the heart. Recently, China, Italy, Washington state, and New York have discovered a troubling pattern in their COVID-19 patients.
According to recent data, cardiac specialists from different parts of the globe have concluded that COVID-19 infection affects cardiac muscles. After examining dead patients, specialists were able to find out that 1 in every 5 patients suffered from cardiovascular damage.
1 in every 5 patients suffer from cardiac damage
Way back in March, China has conducted studies to determine how COVID-19 can cause cardiac problems. In the other study, they observed 416 hospitalized patients and discovered that 19% of them developed cardiac-related damages. There are many factos which can affect the severity of the cardiac problems, and among them is hereditary inclination or higher viral loads.
As of now, experts are still gathering data to find out why some patients experienced more cardiovascular damage. But according to the studies, patients who already have a pre-exising conditions before contracting coronavirus are more likely to suffer from severe complications.
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Experts face challenges in gathering data
In order to determine the risk factors of COVID-19 patients, more data is required. However, due to the overwhelming coronavirus pandemic, hospitals and medical staff are finding it tough to prioritize this. In order to find out if the heart is affected, the patient will have to undergo biopsy to get a sample of the cardiac tissue.
However, since most coronavirus patients are too weak due to complications, their bodies might not be able to handle an invasive procedure. This remains one of the biggest obstacles in gathering more data to find out the link between COVID-19 and cardiovascular damage.
