Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) viral RNA positivity in the heart was found to be present after a latency period of 4 weeks after the onset of pulmonary symptoms in a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patient.
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Intramyocardial inflammation was a complication in a patient affected by COVID-19.
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The histopathological and clinical improvement of the patient were in accordance with viral clearance on follow-up biopsy investigation.
Abstract
The emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has reached pandemic levels. Cardiovascular complications in COVID-19 have been reported frequently, however evidence for a causal relationship has not been established. This report describes the detection of SARS-CoV-2 viral genomes in a patient with symptoms of heart failure, in whom endomyocardial biopsy was investigated following a latency period of 4 weeks after the onset of pulmonary symptoms. The viral infection was accompanied by myocardial inflammation indicating an infection of the heart muscle.