According to a new study, it is not only the lungs, which are severely affected in coronavirus disease patients but also the heart is affected. The study has found that approximately 78% of COVID-19 patients monitored developing a heart condition, independent of pre-existing conditions.

The study was based on a small sample and requires further research and validation, however it adds to the number of body organs that are affected by the coronavirus.

The study found that 60% of patients infected with Sars-Cov-2 virus causes COVID-19, had myocardial inflammation (i.e. swelling of heart muscles).On Monday, it was published in the journal ‘JAMA Cardiology’.

The study, Outcomes of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Patients Recently Recovered from Coronavirus Disease 2019, had also observed the cardiovascular effects in patients who suffered from COVID-19. Data from 100 recovered patients from the University Hospital, Frankfurt’s COVID-19 registry from April - June 2020 was evaluated for the study.

The study stated that cardiac magnetic resonance imaging discovered cardiac involvement in almost 78 patients (78%) and myocardial inflammation in 60 patients (60%), independent of preexisting conditions with its severity and in general course of the acute illness and from the time of the original diagnosis.

The researchers are highlighting the need for studying in detail long-term cardiovascular consequences of COVID-19. Experts in India have asked for further investigation of clinical data to identify the long-term health effect among COVID-19 patients post recovery as there are certain observations made by clinicians on recently recovered patients who are undergoing long-term effects.

Clinicians have observed that COVID-19 might result in other long-term health complications that involve kidneys, liver, eyes in patients after discharging from hospital.

The joint monitoring group, under the Union health ministry’s technical unit, Directorate General of Health Services, is independently studying the clinical data available to draft guidelines for management of the post-recovery health complications.

Dr Rajiv Garg, Director General Health services and the expert doctors from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi, and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) representatives and World Health Organization (WHO) office in India are chairing the group.

The data is collected from various hospitals throughout the country that are treating coronavirus patients. The hospitals included from Delhi are central government-run Safdarjung Hospital, Lady Hardinge Hospital and Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital. Besides these, clinical data is being sought from six other All India Institute of Medical Sciences treating COVID-19 patients.

Source: Hindustan Times