With the pandemic showing no signs of disappearing any time soon, it’s important that people do all they can to protect their health by following social distancing guidelines, wearing face masks as and when appropriate, washing hands regularly throughout the day and using hand sanitiser frequently to help reduce the spread of coronavirus.
While some people find they only have very mild symptoms of covid-19 and others still exhibit no symptoms whatsoever, the effects of the virus can be very serious indeed – and these effects can be long-lasting, affecting the lungs and airways, as well as other organs in the body.
There have been numerous cases of coronavirus-related myocarditis cases, thought to be a combination of direct viral injury and cardiac damage as a result of the body’s immune response.
Myocarditis itself is an inflammatory disease of the heart, although its prevalence among coronavirus patients is as yet unclear, according to research published in the Elsevier Public Health Emergency Collection.
Clinical presentation of covid-related myocarditis was also found to vary among cases, with some presenting with mild symptoms like fatigue and dyspnea (shortness of breath), while others reported chest pain or tightness on exertion.
Back in June, the British Heart Foundation announced support for six flagship research programmes – along with the National Institute for Health Research – to better understand how coronavirus affects the heart and circulatory system, important given that those with such diseases are disproportionately affected by covid-19.
Figures from the Office of National Statistics have shown consistently that heart disease is among the most common pre-existing health conditions in those who have died with the virus across England and Wales.
For information on myocarditis in the UK, get in touch with us today.
