Wuhan 3 years after the outbreak of the pandemic-cardiological insights and perspectives

In November 2019, Wuhan, a city in Central China, became the center of an outbreak of pneumonia of unknown cause, which was later named coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). COVID-19 is caused by the novel severe acute respiratory distress syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. The emergence of novel SARS-CoV-2 strains and mutations exerted a serious global public health threat. Although various vaccines have been developed, specific anti-SARS-CoV-2 drugs are limited. As cardiologists, we believe that because SARS-CoV-2 can bind to the angiotensin 2 receptor on the surface of cardiomyocytes, it may also lead to cardiac injury. COVID-19-associated cardiac injury is not rare in clinical practice, and most of these cases are mild, while a few might progress to fulminant myocarditis (FM). Overactivated immune response and inflammatory storm represent the core pathogenesis of COVID-19-associated FM. Early identification and diagnosis of COVID-19-associated FM are critical for its treatment. Recently, Wuhan was hit by the Omicron variant again. We proposed managing COVID-19-associated cardiac injury according to the severity, which has had a significant effect on outcome.

Automated summary

In November 2019, Wuhan became the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak caused by the novel SARS-CoV-2 infection. The emergence of new strains and mutations of the virus posed a serious global health threat. COVID-19-associated cardiac injury, ranging from mild cases to fulminant myocarditis, is not uncommon, and the overactivated immune response and inflammatory storm play a crucial role in its pathogenesis. Early identification and diagnosis are crucial for the treatment of COVID-19-associated myocarditis.