COVID-19 can break your mind, even if you don’t have any symptoms

Beyond its scientific backing, the idea that COVID-19 patients may suffer from long-term lung scarring and respiratory problems has a circle of truth. After all, we hear? The virus describes how survivors struggle, or feel, in breathing, word Actress Alyssa Milano “like an elephant sitting on my chest”

It has also been known for some time that the hearts of some COVID-19 patients are beating, but over the past few weeks, even those who have never displayed symptoms of coronavirus infection may have heart problems. There is growing evidence that this can happen. And these horrific discoveries help explain why college and professional sports leagues are taking special care in deciding whether to play.

From Indiana University’s aggressive lineman to deal with Possible heart problems To the University of Houston players opt out Due to “complications with my heart,” the news for this season is coming blazing fast. Power Five Conference School confirmed that more than 12 athletes have myocardial damage after coronavirus infection, ESPNTwo conferences, Big Ten and Pac-12, have already announced that they will postpone all competitive sports until 2021. Also, in Major League Baseball, Boston Red Sox ace pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez was a reporter,100 years oldOften as a result of his match with COVID, and as a result of the shortened MLB season due to myocarditis Virus.. Rodriguez said: “That is [the heart is] of the most important It was a part of my body, so when I heard it, I was a little scared. Now that I know what it is, it’s still scary. “

Why are these athletes (and their leagues and conferences) taking such extreme precautions? It’s for betting. Myocarditis is often resolved without problems, but it can cause serious complications such as abnormal heart rhythm, chronic heart failure, and even sudden death. A few weeks ago, a former Florida basketball player, Michael Ojo, He died of a suspected cardiac complication shortly after recovering from a COVID-19 bout in Serbia, where he was playing proball.

The background is as follows: Myocarditis appears to result from a direct infection with a virus that attacks the heart. inflammation It is caused by the body’s overly aggressive immune response. And it’s not by age: LancetDoctors recently reported an 11-year-old child with a rare disease, multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C), who died of myocarditis and heart failure. At necropsy, the pathologist was able to identify coronavirus particles present in the child’s heart tissue and helped explain the virus’ direct involvement in her death. actually, researcher ((No link)) report Presence of viral proteins in actual myocardium of 6 dead patients. Notable is the fact that these patients have been documented dead Lung failure, There were no clinical signs of heart lesions or a history of heart disease.

Osama Samuel, deputy chief of heart disease in Mount Sinaives Israel in New York, told me about one young man develops myocarditis a month after recovering from COVID-19. One patient who developed myocarditis four weeks after he believed he had recovered from the virus recurred in the form of pericarditis (inflammation of the pericardial sac) just in response to a series of steroid treatments. The second patient, in his 40s, had reduced cardiac function due to myocarditis, and the third (athlete in his 40s) experienced recurrent and dangerous ventricular heart rhythm Life jacket Defibrillator for protection. His MRI also shows fibrosis and scarring of his myocardium, which may be permanent, and he may eventually require permanent defibrillator placement.

This is an incredibly tricky diagnosis. Patients with myocarditis often experience symptoms such as shortness of breath, chest pain, fever, and fatigue, although some have no symptoms. Healthcare provider JN, who asked not to use his name, told me that the symptoms of COVID-19 first appeared in his case in late March. He eventually was admitted to the Mount Sinai Medical Center after developing a ruthless fever that spiked to 104 degrees, chest tightness, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

“Even Advil and acetaminophen didn’t help my fever,” JN said at age 34, he was diagnosed with COVID-induced myocarditis and severe heart failure. The doctor admitted him to the intensive care unit and placed him on a lifesaving intra-aortic balloon pump due to his poor cardiac function. He spent two weeks in the hospital, suffering from a recurrence since his discharge, and now says: I’m very worried about how long I’ve been feeling sick and if these symptoms last a lifetime or go away quickly. According to JN, he feels windy and tired when he goes up the stairs in his daily routine. He hasn’t been able to work since March.

According to some reports 7% of deaths May be due to myocarditis from COVID-19. (Some people feel that the estimate is too high.) Sometimes the arrhythmia that accompanies it is a concern, so researchers General Among COVID-19 patients. For JN, he noticed that the heart was racing many times at a rate of 130 beats per minute. And although the prevalence of this in viral patients is not known exactly, one study found that Ventricular arrhythmia Occurs in 78% of patients without COVID-19 and up to 30% of patients experience severe arrhythmias 27 months later..

Experts estimate it half One of the cases of myocarditis resolves without chronic complications, but some studies have shown that COVID-19 patients show signs of symptoms months after being infected with the virus. Suggested 1 unpeer reviewed Investigation, Involving 139 health workers who developed and recovered from coronavirus infection, about 10 weeks after their first symptoms, 37% One of them was diagnosed with myocarditis or myopericarditis, and less than half showed symptoms on scan.

It is clearly a concern that the sequelae of such a heart last weeks to months after the fact, and we are seeing more evidence about it. German Investigation Found that 78% of COVID-19-recovered patients, most of whom had mild to moderate symptoms, showed cardiac involvement more than 2 months after initial diagnosis. It was found that 6 in 10 had persistent myocardial inflammation. Lead investigator Elike Nagel added further by email, emphasizing that individual patients do not have to be nervous.

Taking on myocarditis is tedious. Thankfully, some acute cases resolve spontaneously, requiring only hospital supervision and perhaps some cardiac medication. We learned it steroid And Immunoglobulin—Useful Elsewhere—While it has no effect on acute viral myocarditis, Samuel says that young COVID-19 patients who appear to show more autoimmune symptoms may have a role for steroids. I said no. And of course, effective vaccines help prevent cases in the first place.

Samuel said it is “very dangerous” for athletes diagnosed with myocarditis to at least play competitive sports 3-6 monthsBecause of the risk of serious arrhythmias or sudden death, some athletes have already decided to watch out for these disastrous warnings. With each sport entering its peak season, it is likely that more such decisions will be made in the near future.

And for the rest of us? Wear masks, keep social distances, avoid large gatherings, and spend more time outdoors. I repeat the JN advice. Don’t get the virus at first. As of today, it’s still the best defense we’ve got.