‘Cardiac checkup crucial for COVID-19 convalescent’

By Aybuke Inal Kamaci

ANKARA (AA) - Getting a cardiac health check is of great importance for once-COVID-19 inpatients as one third of them face risk of damage to heart tissue and heart attack, according to a Turkish expert.

Ahmet Tulga Ulus, a professor at Cardiovascular Surgery Department at Hacettepe University, told Anadolu Agency that even though some patients have symptoms of heart attack, they avoid consulting to a hospital out of fear of catching COVID-19.

“We lost many patients who suffered heart attack at home. We need a solution for that. You can be treated for COVID-19 at hospital but if you have heart attack at home you may die,” Ulus warned.

After recovering from COVID-19, patients may develop irregular heartbeat, or arrhythmia, inflammation of the heart muscle, blood clotting, and occlusion of capillaries by the clot formed, he explained. “The permanent damage of the coronavirus occurs when the virus binds directly to ACE2 [angiotensin-converting enzyme 2] receptors in heart cells. The virus that reaches the heart cells deteriorates functioning of the cells.”

Ulus said symptoms of inflammation of the heart muscle and pericardium -- a thin sack that surrounds heart -- may occur weeks after COVID-19 patients recover and added that the situation may result in heart failure.

“During COVID-19, substances kept in the body to destroy the virus can cause blood clotting in some people,” he said.

He warned that healthy individuals before catching coronavirus may also face these risks after healing.

The possibility of facing heart problems after healing from COVID-19 is higher for people with various health problems, he cautioned, adding that individuals without prior health complaints may also face these risks.

“Recovered patients should consult a health care institution or doctor immediately when they experience problems related to the cardiovascular health, such as chest pain and difficulty breathing,” Ulus advised.

Citing the high fatality rate of people with chronic diseases from COVID-19, he urged people with chronic cardiovascular disease to get vaccinated against the disease.

*Writing by Sena Guler