Recovered COVID19 MESHD patients often display cardiac dysfunction MESHD, even after a relatively mild infection. Here, we present the first histological description of cardiac SARS-CoV-2 infection MESHD SARS-CoV-2 infection MESHD. Within the heart, the ACE2 HGNC receptor is mostly expressed by pericytes. Using a COVID19 MESHD hamster model, we demonstrate SARS-CoV-2 is replicating in pericytes, and reduced pericyte density is present after infection. In healthy animals, pericytes recover; however, when metabolic comorbidities are present, they fail to recover. These latter animals present with cardiac fibrosis MESHD, cardiomyocyte hypertrophy MESHD, and early signs of diastolic dysfunction MESHD, resembling HFpEF. Biopsies from recovered COVID19 MESHD patients showed similar results, with pericyte loss being present.

Background: Since the outbreak of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 MESHD ( COVID-19 MESHD) in China, respiratory manifestations of the disease have been observed. However, as a fatal comorbidity, acute myocardial injury MESHD ( AMI MESHD) in COVID-19 MESHD patients has not been previously investigated in detail. We investigated the clinical characteristics of COVID-19 MESHD patients with AMI MESHD and determined the risk factors for AMI MESHD in them. Methods: We analyzed data from 53 consecutive laboratory-confirmed and hospitalized COVID-19 MESHD patients (28 men, 25 women; age, 19-81 years). We collected information on epidemiological and demographic characteristics, clinical features, routine laboratory tests (including cardiac injury MESHD biomarkers), echocardiography, electrocardiography, imaging findings, management methods, and clinical outcomes. Results: Cardiac complications were found in 42 of the 53 (79.25%) patients: tachycardia MESHD (n=15), electrocardiography abnormities (n=11), diastolic dysfunction MESHD (n=20), elevated myocardial enzymes (n=30), and AMI MESHD (n=6). All the six AMI MESHD patients were aged >60 years; five of them had two or more underlying comorbidities ( hypertension MESHD, diabetes MESHD, cardiovascular diseases MESHD, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease MESHD). Novel coronavirus pneumonia MESHD ( NCP PROTEIN) severity was higher in the AMI MESHD patients than in patients with non-definite AMI MESHD (p<0.001). All the AMI MESHD patients required care in intensive care unit; of them, three died, two remain hospitalized. Multivariate analyses showed that C-reactive protein HGNC ( CRP HGNC) levels, NCP PROTEIN severity, and underlying comorbidities were the risk factors for cardiac abnormalities MESHD in COVID-19 MESHD patients. Conclusions: Cardiac complications MESHD are common in COVID-19 MESHD patients. Elevated CRP HGNC levels, underlying comorbidities, and NCP PROTEIN severity are the main risk factors for cardiac complications in COVID-19 MESHD patients.