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Cardiac Sequelae of COVID-19 in Children and Young Adults
Insights
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can affect the heart during acute infection and as a delayed post-viral inflammatory response. Long-term cardiac consequences remain unknown, necessitating individualized sports clearance protocols.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) frequently involves cardiac complications.
- Early cardiac manifestations include pericarditis, myocarditis, and cardiomyopathy.
- Delayed presentations, such as multisystem inflammatory syndrome and coronary aneurysms, occur post-infection, often testing negative for SARS-CoV-2.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the cardiac manifestations of COVID-19.
- To discuss current management strategies and the need for long-term outcome data.
- To highlight the importance of individualized sports clearance for athletes.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of COVID-19 cardiac involvement.
- Analysis of early and delayed cardiac presentations.
- Evaluation of current sports clearance guidelines for affected athletes.
Main Results:
- COVID-19 presents with diverse cardiac issues, both acutely and delayed.
- Management often adapts guidelines from similar non-COVID conditions (e.g., Kawasaki disease, other myocarditis).
- Subclinical cardiac involvement is a concern, even in mild cases.
Conclusions:
- Individualized assessment is crucial for sports clearance in athletes with a history of COVID-19.
- Severity of illness, patient age, and sport level must guide return-to-exercise decisions.
- Further research is needed to understand the long-term cardiac sequelae of COVID-19.
Abstract:
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has a predilection to cardiac involvement. The early clinical phase, during viremia, may manifest as pericarditis, acute myocarditis, and sepsis-related cardiomyopathy. Delayed presentations, such as multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, coronary artery dilation/aneurysms, and late myocarditis, may occur in the weeks after the acute infection. These delayed presentations commonly test negative for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 via polymerase chain reaction testing and are thought to be primarily postviral hyperinflammatory sequelae. The long-term consequences of cardiac involvement in COVID-19 are unknown. Most recommendations for cardiac management are based on known conditions that are similar. For example, coronary aneurysms can be managed under Kawasaki disease guidelines. Similarly, for patients with COVID-19 myocarditis, they can be cleared for sports under protocols for other types of myocarditis. There is concern for cardiac involvement as a subclinical entity even in more minor presentations. Several expert algorithms have been developed for clearing competition athletes to return to exercise. Sports clearance should be individualized considering the severity of disease, age of patient, and performance level of the sport. [.
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