Long-Term Adverse Effects of Mild COVID-19 Disease on Arterial Stiffness, and Systemic and Central Hemodynamics: A Pre-Post Study.

COVID-19-associated vascular disease complications are primarily associated with endothelial dysfunction; however, the consequences of disease on vascular structure and function, particularly in the long term (>7 weeks post-infection), remain unexplored. Individual pre- and post-infection changes in arterial stiffness as well as central and systemic hemodynamic parameters were measured in patients diagnosed with mild COVID-19. As part of in-laboratory observational studies, baseline measurements were taken up to two years before, whereas the post-infection measurements were made 2-3 months after the onset of COVID-19. We used the same measurement protocol throughout the study as well as linear and mixed-effects regression models to analyze the data. Patients (N = 32) were predominantly healthy and young (mean age ± SD: 36.6 ± 12.6). We found that various parameters of arterial stiffness and central hemodynamics-cfPWV, AIx@HR75, and cDBP as well as DBP and MAP-responded to a mild COVID-19 disease. The magnitude of these responses was dependent on the time since the onset of COVID-19 as well as age (pregression_models ≤ 0.013). In fact, mixed-effects models predicted a clinically significant progression of vascular impairment within the period of 2-3 months following infection (change in cfPWV by +1.4 m/s, +15% in AIx@HR75, approximately +8 mmHg in DBP, cDBP, and MAP). The results point toward the existence of a widespread and long-lasting pathological process in the vasculature following mild COVID-19 disease, with heterogeneous individual responses, some of which may be triggered by an autoimmune response to COVID-19.

First case of imported chikungunya infection in Croatia, 2016.

In recent years, several European countries reported cases of imported chikungunya infection. We present the first imported clinically manifested chikungunya fever in Croatia. A 27-year-old woman returned to Croatia on 21 March 2016, after she stayed in Costa Rica for two months where she had noticed a mosquito bite on her left forearm. Five days after the mosquito bite she developed severe arthralgias, fever and erythematous papular rash. In next few days symptoms gradually subsided. After ten days she felt better, but arthralgias re-appeared accompanied with morning stiffness. Two weeks after the onset of the disease she visited the infectious diseases outpatient department. The physical examination revealed rash on the trunk, extremities, palms and soles. Laboratory findings showed slightly elevated liver transaminases. Serological tests performed on day 20 after disease onset showed a high titer of chikungunya virus (CHIKV) IgM and IgG antibodies which indicated CHIKV infection. CHIKV-RNA was not detected. Serology to dengue and Zika virus was negative. The patient was treated with nonsteroid anti-inflammatory drugs and paracetamol. Her symptoms ameliorated, however, three months later she still complaint of arthralgias. The presented case highlights the need for inclusion of CHIKV in the differential diagnosis of arthralgia in all travelers returning from countries with documented CHIKV transmission.