Research keeps finding out more about how Covid hurts the body. A new study has indicated that Covid may have an effect on the heart. The discovery has significant ramifications for future pandemic waves.

Some people only get a mild cold at most. It can be life-threatening for others. As the number of patients in critical condition continued to rise in the early stages of the pandemic, researchers were left fumbling in the dark. Thanks to the progress we’ve made in understanding Covid, the world is in a much better place now. A recent study published in the journal Anaesthesia adds to what is already known.

COVID-19 has been linked to reduced right-sided heart function in intensive care patients, according to research.

The study, coordinated by NHS Golden Jubilee scientists, intended to enhance future care and outcomes for people most vulnerable to COVID-19 by learning more about how the virus affects the sickest patients who require invasive ventilation.

The Covid-RV trial looked at 121 critically ill patients on ventilators due to coronavirus infection.

Researchers discovered that almost one-third of the patients in the research had anomalies in the right side of the heart, which pumps blood to the lungs.

COVID-19 caused nearly half of the ventilated patients in the study to die, which is equivalent to national and international death rates.

“A combination of factors create the perfect storm for COVID-19 to damage the right side of your heart, which ultimately can cause death,” said Dr. Philip McCall, lead author of the study and consultant in Cardiothoracic Anaesthesia and Intensive Care at NHS Golden Jubilee.

“If you’re pumping blood to the lungs and the lungs become very sick, you have an additional problem because the lungs are not willing to receive blood.

“”This is a very difficult condition to spot, unless you are specifically looking for it. That is why the results of this study are so important .

“We now know that COVID-19 is a problem associated with not just ventilation, but can affect the heart.”

The findings, according to experts at the NHS Golden Jubilee University National Hospital in Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire, could be crucial not only in saving the lives of Covid-19 patients, but also in the treatment of potentially fatal heart and lung issues in general, as well as in preparing for any future pandemic.

The Covid-RV study was completed in a much shorter period of time.

Normally, such studies take at least a year to plan, but due to the pandemic and the significance of the findings, the research was finished in six months and three weeks, from September 2020 to March 2021.

“The study has revealed that there is no doubt COVID-19 affects the heart and has a major impact on outcomes for the patient,” remarked Dr. Ben Shelley, the study’s chief investigator and consultant in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care at the NHS Golden Jubilee.

“However, now that we know this actually happens, and have a better understanding of how it affects people, we can plan for the future and put in place new care plans and treatments to help combat this.”

“For example, ultrasound scans can be used differently to focus in on early warning signs and areas we now know to be at risk.”

“If we are able to see these warning signs early enough, clinicians can explore the causes of any complications and start new treatments as soon as possible, potentially improving outcomes for the sickest patients with COVID-19.”

“This kind of knowledge is invaluable, not only in combatting any future waves of Covid-19, but in planning for future pandemics to allow people to be treated more effectively.”

You should get vaccinated against Covid to reduce the risk of infection.

COVID-19 vaccinations licensed for use in the US have satisfied stringent safety, quality, and efficacy criteria.

Vaccines have been demonstrated to help:

• Reduce your chances of being seriously ill or dying as a result of COVID-19.

• Protect against COVID-19 variations

• And reduce your chance of contracting or transmitting it.

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