- Coronavirus primarily targets your lungs but those lung effects can affect a diseased heart that is forced to deliver oxygenated blood throughout your body. Previous coronaviruses — SARS and MERS, for example — were associated with heart muscle inflammation, heart attacks, and rapid-onset heart failure.
- Coronavirus is not just the flu, but precautions that are effective against the flu can help protect you against the coronavirus too.
- An underlying heart condition and a compromised immune system may go hand in hand. As a result, a heart patient may not respond as vigorously to exposure to any virus, including the one that can cause COVID-19.
- Illnesses caused by viruses can destabilize the plaque in a patient's arteries. That fatty buildup in the arteries can cause blockages that prevent blood flow and increase the risk of heart attacks.
- A coronavirus infection can be masked by other conditions that cause similar symptoms such as fevers. Consider getting a flu shot to eliminate another source of fevers.
- If you have cardiovascular disease, make sure your vaccinations are up to date — that includes your pneumonia vaccination.