Potential Effects of Coronaviruses on the Cardiovascular System

Abstract

Coronaviruses (CoVs) are single-stranded positive-sense RNA viruses, with the capacity for rapid mutation and recombination. Coronaviruses are known to cause respiratory or intestinal infections in humans and animals.¹ Acute respiratory infections, including influenza, respiratory syncytial virus, and bacterial pneumonias, are well-recognized triggers for cardiovascular diseases (CVD),^2,3 and the underlying CVD is usually associated with comorbidities, which may increase the incidence and severity of infectious diseases.⁴ The emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus, which causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has rapidly grown into a pandemic, and a large proportion of affected patients have been reported to have underlying CVD.^5,6 In this report, we briefly review the basics of coronaviruses and their potential effects on the cardiovascular system. Our knowledge of COVID-19 is still evolving rapidly, and this review discusses previous learnings from outbreaks of SARS and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), as well as seasonal influenza, to obtain further insight into effects of coronaviruses on the cardiovascular system. Understanding the effects of COVID-19 on the cardiovascular system is essential for providing comprehensive medical care for cardiac patients.