Cardiac patients seem to have a disproportionately higher mortality in COVID 19 patients. This presentation explains the reasons for the same as well as strategies to prevent the same

1. CORONA infection in Heart
Patients
Dr C Raghu
Cardiologist- Director
Aster Prime Hospital
@RaghuCardio

2. What is this COVID 19 aka CORONA?
• COVID 19 is a RNA virus
• Belongs to family of Corona
viruses – hence commonly
called Corona
• Four common types of
Corona exist and they are
widely distributed all over
the world

3. Did mankind suffer CORONA in the past?
• Four common types of Corona
exist and they are widely
distributed all over the world
• SARS and MERS virus are similar
to COVID 19
• SARS and MERS caused epidemics
with high mortality

4. How is COVID 19 different from
previous CORONA
• Virus mutates itself constantly
and how it transforms can’t be
predicted
• Highly contagious
• 80% - self limiting
• High mortality in cardiac patients

5. How does CORONA get transmitted?

6. What are the symptoms of CORONA disease?

7. Why heart patients have severe COVID 19?
• Corona virus acts on the body through
receptors called ACE receptors
• ACE receptors are present in lung and heart
• So Corona is a disease of heart and lung

8. What is co-morbidity?
• Co-morbidity – a term used in medical field
• Means co-existent illness
- Age
- Diabetes Mellitus
- Hypertension
- Kidney failure
- Heart attack

9. Co-morbidities and Corona
• People with co-morbidities tend to develop
severe COVID
• Which co-morbidities can influence the
outcome?

10. Co-morbidities and COVID 19
Co-morbidity Percentage pf COVID
19 with risk factor
Age > 52 years
Hypertension 24%
Diabetes 16%
Coronary heart or cerebrovascular
disease
8%
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
(COPD) – Lung problem
4%

11. Effects of Corona infection on Heart
Immediate effects
• Myocarditis
• Myocardial injury
• Heart Failure
• Irregular heart beat
• Heart attack
Long-term effects
• Irregular heart beat
• Lipid levels increased
• Hypertension
• Heart Failure

12. Effects of Corona infection on Heart
Immediate effects
• Myocarditis
• Myocardial injury
• Heart Failure
• Irregular heart beat
• Heart attack
Long-term effects
• Irregular heart beat
• Lipid levels increased
• Hypertension
• Heart Failure
Chest Pain – Palpitations - Breathlessness

13. Which tests needed to identify heart damage?
• ECG
• Echo
• Cardiac bio markers – Trop T, Pro BNP, CK MB
• Chest X ray
• Lung Ultrasound

14. Drugs for COVID 19 and Heart
• Treatment for COVID 19 at the moment is not
clear
• Because COVID is a viral infection and HIV is
also a virus – HIV drugs were used in China
• HIV drugs are toxic to the heart and cause
heart failure, irregular heart beat

16. Specific precautions for Heart patients
• Avoid large gatherings
• Keep at least 1-2 m distance from patients
with respiratory symptoms
• Do not stay in the same room with person
suffering from cough, cold and fever
• Vulnerable people – stay in a room in isolation
& receive food supplies without direct contact
• Travel should not be done. If travel mandatory
use of mask is extremely important

17. Vaccination important in heart patients
• Flu vaccine is important – as it reduced the
severity of disease by 18%
• Pneumococcal vaccine can reduce risk of
secondary infection

18. Conclusions
• COVID 19 is a disease of lungs and heart
• COVID of lungs presents with cough, fever,
breathlessness
• COVID of heart presents with chest pain,
palpitations and breathlessness
• Early detection and management of cardiac
involvement important
• Self isolation of elderly cardiac patients
• Role of Flu vaccination important