Infecting COVID-19 is far more dangerous to the heart than vaccination.

The The heart has played a central role With COVID-19 from the beginning. Cardiovascular disease is one of the highest risk factors for hospitalization. A significant number of patients hospitalized for SARS-CoV-2 infections have signs of heart damage and many recover from persistent cardiovascular infections.

Not surprisingly, the debate over the COVID-19 vaccine often revolves around cardiovascular health issues.High profile Danish soccer player Christian Eriksen collapses in June Started the myth about the link between Sudden cardiac death and vaccination of athletes It will continue for months.

look: Answer your questions about COVID vaccines for children

probably The most common conflicts regarding the COVID-19 vaccine It is a risk of post-immunization myocarditis, especially among young people.

What do the numbers tell us about COVID-19, vaccines and myocarditis?

What is myocarditis?

Myocarditis is an inflammation of the muscles of the heart and is most commonly caused by viruses such as: Influenza, coxsackie, hepatitis or herpes.. Other causes include bacteria, fungi, toxins, chemotherapy, and autoimmune diseases.

Some viruses infect the heart muscle and damage the heart directly, while others indirectly damage the heart through the immune system.Activation of the immune system in response to an infection causes the release of chemicals in the body Cytokine, Helps get rid of the infection. In some cases, cytokine levels rise to abnormally high levels, causing a “cytokine storm” that damages the heart muscle.

Myocarditis by numbers

Before COVID-19, the incidence of myocarditis was 1 and 10 cases per 100,000 people annually.. The rate is highest for men between the ages of 18 and 30.Interestingly, most cases of myocarditis The highest risk groups are otherwise healthy and active people..

by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, The risk of myocarditis after COVID-19 infection is much higher, 146 cases per 100,000 people. The risk is higher for men, the elderly (50+), and children under the age of 16. Alphonso Davies, 21, a 21-year-old Canadian men’s team soccer player, was abandoned due to heart inflammation after being infected with COVID-19.

Myocarditis after vaccination

Myocarditis after COVID-19 vaccination is rare and the risk is much less than the risk of heart damage associated with COVID-19 itself.

based on Studies from IsraelThe risk of myocarditis after vaccination is 2.13 per 100,000 vaccinated individuals, which is within the range normally found in the general population. This study is consistent with others in the United States and Israel. The overall incidence of myocarditis after vaccination is 0.3-5 per 100,000...

Kids are ok

The highest incidence of myocarditis after mRNA vaccination is within 3-4 days after the second vaccination. Men under the age of 30..of Pediatric dataThe median age is 15.8 years, and most patients are male (90.6%) and Caucasian (66.2%) or Hispanic (20.9%). Reliable data on booster shots for this age group are not yet available.

Most studies show the clear benefits of COVID-19 mRNA vaccination for myocarditis.that’s all One study by Martina Patone and colleagues at Oxford University We found that the results for people under the age of 40 were more ambiguous, based solely on the incidence of myocarditis. However, given the other adverse effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection (both heart and non-cardiac), immunizing young people with COVID-19 vaccines other than Moderna still had significant benefits. Which studies suggest a higher risk of myocarditis than Pfizer’s vaccine..

Damage repair

The Treatment of myocarditis It depends on its severity. Adults with mild myocarditis usually require rest and only non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) such as ibuprofen. In more severe cases, it even requires medication or even mechanical circulatory support such as a left ventricular assist device to support cardiac function. If treatment becomes ineffective, a heart transplant may be needed.

and Multicenter series of patients under 21 years of agePeople with mild symptoms received NSAIDs alone or did not receive any anti-inflammatory therapy. Patients with more severe symptoms can receive more intensive treatments, including intravenous immunoglobulins, glucocorticoids, or colchicine, in addition to NSAIDs.

How serious is it?

80% or more of Case of myocarditis It resolves spontaneously, regardless of COVID-19 or COVID-19 vaccination, but 5% of patients die or require a heart transplant within 1 year of diagnosis.

Developing adults The outcome of myocarditis with COVID-19 is poor It involves a higher risk of death than non-COVID-19 cases. It should be noted that myocarditis associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection is only one of several heart diseases associated with COVID-19 and has a worse outcome than non-COVID-19 cases. Case of myocarditis It resolves spontaneously, regardless of COVID-19 or COVID-19 vaccination, but 5% of patients die or require a heart transplant within 1 year of diagnosis.

In the case of myocarditis after COVID-19 vaccination, the majority of cases are mild and resolve quickly. For adults, 95% of cases were considered mild.. Similarly, in children, 98.6% is calm, And the need for mechanical heart support (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, when pumping blood into the heart-lung machine) or death has not been reported. All children who had heart weakness had a complete normalization of their heart function at follow-up.

Takeaway message

The dynamic changes in the pandemic, coupled with the rapid development of research, make it difficult for the general public to get all the information about the risks and benefits of the COVID-19 vaccine. In such cases, it is useful to rely on the guidance of medical institutions whose mission is to protect the health and welfare of society.

Considering all available studies, American Heart Association, Canadian Cardiovascular Society, Heart and Stroke Foundation in Canada, Canadian Pediatric Society And that American Pediatric Society Encourage everyone who is eligible to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

It’s a message that we all should keep in mind.

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