Coronavirus: The recent spate of heart attacks may be linked to COVID-19; Health ministry set to investigate

Apart from the respiratory system, COVID-19 can also impact your heart. Responding to several recent deaths among youngsters in connection with heart attacks, health minister Mansukh Mandaviya told NDTV, "We saw so many young artistes, athletes, sportspersons...they died on stage while performing. We all saw that, and reports started coming in from several places. We needed to investigate."

Mandaviya said the Health Ministry is investigating any possible link with COVID-19. "The government has commissioned research to find the link between the recent spate of heart attacks in young people with Covid, and the results are expected in two-three months," he added.


According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, COVID-19 can cause temporary or lasting damage to heart tissue due to several factors.

Coronavirus may infect and damage the heart’s muscle tissue directly. It can affect the inner surfaces of veins and arteries, which can lead to blood vessel inflammation. This can damage your vessels and develop blood clots, which can compromise blood flow to your heart and increase risk of heart attack.

Inflammation caused by Coronavirus can cause fluid to fill up in the air sacs in your lungs. This restricts oxygen flow to your bloodstream. The heart is pushed to work harder to pump blood throughout the body, which can be dangerous especially for those who have preexisting heart disease. Overwork or insufficient oxygen can cause cell death and tissue damage in the heart, increasing risk of heart attack.

Viral infections like COVID-19 can cause stress cardiomyopathy – a heart muscle disorder that affects the heart’s ability to pump blood effectively. When attacked by a virus such as Coronavirus, the body undergoes stress and releases a surge of chemicals called catecholamines, which can stun the heart, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.

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In a cytokine storm, your body’s immune system response can cause inflammation that can overwhelm the body, destroying healthy tissue and damaging organs such as the heart. When responding to infections like Coronavirus, your body releases a flood of proteins called cytokines to help cells communicate with one another and fight the invaders, explains Johns Hopkins Medicine. However, in some people, this normal defensive event is exaggerated, leaving them vulnerable to a cytokine storm.

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