DYNAMICS OF ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY CHARACTERISTICS OF THE MYOCARDIUM IN PATIENTS WITH CONFIRMED DIAGNOSIS OF COVID-19

ABSTRACT

Objective: It has now been shown that the SARS-Cov2 virus can be found in myocardial tissue. It is still unknown whether persistence of the virus in cardiomyocytes always leads to clinically significant heart damage. The aim of the study is to assess the dynamics of echocardiography characteristics in patients with COVID- 19 in primary care clinic. Design and method: Material and methods 210 patients were enrolled into the study between Oct and Dec 2020. The mean age was 51.6 ± 14.61 years, 100 (47, 6%) men. All patients had no cardiovascular disease prior to enrollment. 57 patients (26.1%) underwent COVID-19 without significant lung damage on CT, 114 patients (54.1%) had CT1 lung damage, - 31 patients (14.2%) - CT2, 7 patients (3, 2%) - CT 3, 1 patient (0.5%) - CT-4. All patients were examined by Echo before COVID-19 disease and after the discharge from the hospital using Vivid 9 GE with assessment of standard parameters and global longitudinal strain (GLS). Results: In the examined group of patients, 1 case of mild myocarditis and 1 case of pericarditis were recorded. No significant dynamics of the parameters of the LV was revealed by standart Echo. There was a significant increase in the size of the RV from 2.38 ± 0.233 cm to 2.57 ± 0.327 cm (p < 0.001) after the disease. Patients with lung lesions CT2 and higher had lower GLS (17.7 ± 1.06 and 18.7 ± 0.72%, p = 0.032), higher LA size (4.29 ± 0.39 and 3.59 ± 0.49 cm, p = 0,036) and RV size (2.54 ± 0.32 and 2.39 ± 0.23 cm, p = 0.013) compared with patients without lung involvement or with CT1. There was a weak significant correlation between the GLS and the dynamics of the RV diameter (r = 0.288, p < 0.001). Conclusions: After the transferred coronavirus infection, changes are detected mainly in the right ventricle, the severity of which correlates with the severity of lung damage Left ventricular changes can be detected mainly in severe infection and mainly by assessing the global longitudinal deformity of the left ventricle.