Dr. Harish ManyamWhile the coronavirus is known for wreaking havoc on the lungs, a growing amount of research suggests that COVID-19 patients – including those with only mild cases – can experience heart complications following their illness.
Dr. Harish Manyam, chief of cardiology at Erlanger hospital, said it’s known that viruses, such as influenza and the common cold, can damage the heart. So, it makes sense that the coronavirus would as well.
For example, flu-like illnesses increase one’s risk of heart attack, and viral illnesses are the most common cause of inflammation of the heart muscle, known as myocarditis.
“We treat patients fairly frequently and have treated a lot of patients who have had mild illnesses of myocarditis, or inflammation of the heart muscle, and then patients who had severe illness where they actually needed to have a heart transplant,” Manyam said.
Often, myocarditis goes undetected and people don’t know they’re affected until going to the doctor for symptoms, such as shortness of breath, he said.