COVID-19 in patients with cardiovascular diseases

According to experts, in recent decades, humanity has lost vigilance against infections, and medical science has focused on the fight against non-communicable diseases. The SARS-CoV2 virus that caused the COVID-19 pandemic reminded that viruses remain a real threat to humanity. Almost 43 million cases of infection have been recorded in the world, the pandemic has claimed more than 1.15 million lives. It is now known that coronavirus infection damages many organs and systems of the body, activates the blood clotting system, and many patients die from thrombosis. Although cardiovascular diseases (CVD) by themselves do not increase the risk of infection, COVID-19 is more severe in patients with heart disease.

Cardiovascular diseases are the most common concomitant pathology in coronavirus infection. Complications caused by coronavirus infection include thrombosis, cardiac arrhythmias, and heart failure.

The SARS-CoV2 coronavirus has now been added to the traditional risk factors for stroke (age, arterial hypertension, elevated cholesterol levels, emotional stress, smoking), which often causes neurological complications.

Doctor's recommendations for people suffering from cardiovascular diseases:

- try wearing a respirator with a valve: you will be able to breathe freely even in a full bus;

- get vaccinated. No cardiac pathology (except for its acute stage) is a contraindication. At the same time, you do not need to take any additional medications if you have not had a history of allergic reactions. Yes, no vaccination gives a 100% guarantee that you will not get infected with COVID-19, but in this case the disease will proceed milder and faster, probably even without hospitalization.

- If you feel that you have a cold, but your body copes with the disease without complications, then you can stay at home and watch yourself. If shortness of breath, dizziness, pressing or burning pain in the chest appeared, palpitations increased, saturation began to fall, pressure increased or decreased, you should seek help.

- Exercise - do exercises without overworking the body.

- Stick to a diet that lowers cholesterol in the blood – do not eat fatty, salty foods, give preference to vegetables and fruits.