Scientists of the Washington School of Medicine have discovered after going through the experiment on the blood cells, that Coronavirus directly affects the blood cells. Earlier, the cardiac issues were being considered the secondary effects of Covid-19.
As the virus causes inflammation and fluid to fill up the air sacs in the lungs, less oxygen can reach the bloodstream. The heart has to work harder to pump blood through the body which can be dangerous in people with pre-existing heart disease. The heart can fail from overwork or insufficient oxygen can cause cell death and tissue damage in the heart and other organs. The results of the experiments show that we should not take the heart diseases in corona patients as secondary.
Scientists have come up with the theory that the coronavirus can infect and damage the heart’s muscle tissue directly. When a virus attacks the body, it undergoes stress and releases a flood of chemicals called catecholamines which can stun the heart. One of the big issues related to Coronavirus is the amount of inflammation the infection causes. This level of inflammation occurs due to a phenomenon, known as cytokine storm in which the immune system produces too big responses against a virus.
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Instead of solely attacking the virus, the immune cells injure healthy cells too increasing inflammation. A big inflammatory response can cause a lot of stress on the heart, making it work harder to pump blood throughout the body as the body fights off the infection.
A person who has already coronary artery disease is more expected to go through cardiac complications since they have already compromised blood flow to their heart and diminished blood vessel function. If the heart has a harder time pumping blood to its cells due to Coronavirus, the heart cells can become damaged and the person may suffer from a heart attack.
