COVID-19 and Cardiovascular Disease: Mechanisms and Implications
Irena Mitevska
Abstract
We are living and fighting serious COVID-19 pandemic, which is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus. Cardiovascular diseases are highly prevalent in the infected individuals, which modifies their treatment and prognosis. The injury of the myocardium is reported in over 15% of hospitalized severely ill patients, mostly presented in the form of acute heart failure, acute coronary syndrome, cardiac arrythmias, myocarditis and thromboembolic complications. All these complications may appear at early in the course of the disease, during the disease progress or in the later stage of the COVID-19 disease. Thromboembolic complications accompany more severe cases, caused by excessive inflammation, platelet activation, endothelial dysfunction, and stasis. This new virus pandemic is a global challenge for health care system where we still have much to learn.