Management of Cardiovascular Disease Patients With Confirmed or Suspected COVID-19 in Limited Resource Settings

• Published in: Global heart 2020-07, Vol.15 (1), p.44-44
• Main Authors: Prabhakaran, Dorairaj, Perel, Pablo, Roy, Ambuj, Singh, Kavita, Raspail, Lana, Faria-Neto, José Rocha, Gidding, Samuel S, Ojji, Dike, Hakim, Ferdous, Newby, L Kristin, Stępińska, Janina, Lam, Carolyn S P, Jobe, Modou, Kraus, Sarah, Chuquiure-Valenzuela, Eduardo, Piñeiro, Daniel, Khaw, Kay-Tee, Bahiru, Ehete, Banerjee, Amitava, Narula, Jagat, Pinto, Fausto J, Wood, David A, Sliwa, Karen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: cardiovascular disease; Cardiovascular Diseases - complications; Cardiovascular Diseases - therapy; Clinical Decision-Making; coronavirus; Coronavirus Infections - complications; COVID-19; Decision Trees; Health Resources; Humans; low income countries; low resource settings; middle income countries; Original Research; Pandemics; Pneumonia, Viral - complications; Practice Guidelines as Topic
• ISSN: 2211-8179; 2211-8160; 2211-8179
• DOI: 10.5334/gh.823

In this paper, we provide recommendations on the management of cardiovascular disease (CVD) among patients with confirmed or suspected coronavirus disease (COVID-19) to facilitate the decision making of healthcare professionals in low resource settings. The emergence of novel coronavirus disease, also known as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), has presented an unprecedented global challenge for the healthcare community. The ability of SARS-CoV-2 to get transmitted during the asymptomatic phase and its high infectivity have led to the rapid transmission of COVID-19 beyond geographic regions, leading to a pandemic. There is concern that COVID-19 is cardiotropic, and it interacts with the cardiovascular system on multiple levels. Individuals with established CVD are more susceptible to severe COVID-19. Through a consensus approach involving an international group this WHF statement summarizes the links between cardiovascular disease and COVID-19 and present some practical recommendations for the management of hypertension and diabetes, acute coronary syndrome, heart failure, rheumatic heart disease, Chagas disease, and myocardial injury for patients with COVID-19 in low-resource settings. This document is not a clinical guideline and it is not intended to replace national clinical guidelines or recommendations. Given the rapidly growing burden posed by COVID-19 illness and the associated severe prognostic implication of CVD involvement, further research is required to understand the potential mechanisms linking COVID-19 and CVD, clinical presentation, and outcomes of various cardiovascular manifestations in COVID-19 patients.