There has been a continuous rise in COVID positive patients suffering from heart disease. Rather we can say that one in five patients suffering from COVID-19 have signs of heart injury regardless of whether they have any respiratory symptoms. 20% of Covid-19 patients complain of chest pain and shortness of breath and that eventually turns out they suffer heart attack. Even during pandemic, BM Birla Heart Research Centre is doing their utmost to treat one who needs immediate cardiac attention in a safe environment. We are very pleased to inform you that we are treating patients who are enrolled under the Swasthya Sathi a health scheme by the government of West Bengal. It is interesting to note that there is no capping on the family size and the parents of both the spouse are covered under this scheme.

As we know that cardiac patients fall into a high-risk category for COVID-19 infection, it is important to keep certain points in mind to prevent ourselves from getting infected.

1. Continue doing exercise
2. Eat a balanced diet, stay hydrated and get adequate sleep
3. Maintain a social distance while communicating with friends and family
4. Do not use coping strategies involving alcohol or drugs.
5. Limit the information you consume about the outbreak and the time you spend on it
6. Avoid anxiety. Relax and try to remain resilient
7. Stay at home as much as possible. If you have fever or chest infection you should be self-isolate yourself and contact your doctor
8. Always wear mask and do not forget to sanitize your hands
9. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth
10. Clean often-touched surfaces like doorknobs, handles, steering wheels, or light switches, with a disinfectant to remove the virus.

We are assessing that recent recovery from the novel Coronavirus infection as determined by RT-PCR which checks for the presence of the virus from swab tests of patients for upper respiratory tract. Speaking on this Dr. Dhiman Kahali, Director, Department of Interventional Cardiology, BM Birla Heart Research Centre said, “The problem associated with COVID-19 is the amount of inflammation the infection causes which affects the heart health. Recent research suggests that there are few mechanisms as to why COVID-19 damages the heart leading to widespread of inflammation the infection causes, the possibility that the virus directly infects and injures the cardiovascular system and overall stress the infection puts on the pre-existing heart condition. It is interesting to note that patients who are COVID-19 positive complain of chest pain and shortness of breath and eventually they have heart attack due to non-occlusive blockage or due to thrombosis in the lumen of the coronary artery.”

Severe COVID-19 infection can cause massive inflammation throughout the body, and if it affects the heart the consequences can be serious. It has been observed that fast and appropriate treatment of people suffering can bring heart rhythms back to normal which can lead to lesser risk in COVID-19.

Although people with existing heart disease have a greater risk, a small percent of people with no pre-existing heart issues have also experienced heart damage from COVID-19. It’s important for those with cardiovascular disease to be isolated from people with COVID-19 symptoms and to remain under proper treatment with vaccinations for influenza and pneumonia. We as a team at BM Birla Hospitals, are continuing to learn so that we can give our patients the best possible care. We are taking all the necessary steps and we hope we can fight it back together.

About the author- Dr. Dhiman Kahali, Director, Department of Interventional Cardiology, BM Birla Heart Research Centre