A new study published in BMC Cardiovascular Disorders reveals that pediatric and young adult patients infected with COVID-19 are at a higher risk of cardiac complications compared to flu or RSV patients of the same age. The research, based on US hospital data from 2020 to 2021, analyzed over 212,000 respiratory virus admissions.
The study found that children hospitalized with COVID-19 had a median age of 15 years, while those with influenza were just 4 years old and those with RSV under 1 year. The risk of myocarditis, a condition where the heart muscle becomes inflamed, was significantly lower for patients infected with flu (61% lower) or RSV (85% lower) compared to COVID-19.
The study also found no significant difference in the risk of sudden cardiac arrest, tachyarrhythmias, or in-hospital mortality between COVID-19 and flu/RSV patients. However, the authors recommend taking measures to prevent COVID-19 infection and promptly managing cardiovascular complications in high-risk children, particularly those with underlying health conditions, to prevent mortality.
Source: https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/covid-19-linked-more-heart-complications-flu-rsv