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CNN reports this.

Consequences of COVID-19: what research has shown

A recent study by scientists who analyzed UK Biobank data revealed alarming trends. The study included data from more than 11,000 people who tested positive for COVID-19 in 2020, before vaccines were available. These results were compared with information on more than 222 thousand people who did not have coronavirus during the same period.

The analysis showed that those who had recovered from COVID-19 had twice the risk of experiencing serious illnesses such as heart attacks and strokes, and these cases were often fatal.

However, the key finding was that the increased risks did not disappear over time. The researchers noted that, contrary to expectations, the long-term impact of COVID-19 on cardiovascular health persists for at least three years after recovery.

“There is no evidence of a reduction in risk… This is one of the most unexpected and interesting findings,” said the study’s lead author, director of the Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences at the Cleveland Clinic (USA).

Cardiologist at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, Dr. Patricia Best, who was not involved in the study, commented on the results. She stressed that infections tend to temporarily increase the risk of heart attacks, but that risk usually decreases soon after recovery. However, COVID-19 may act differently because its effect on the body is significantly different from other infections.

Possible Explanations

Scientists have not yet reached a consensus on why coronavirus causes such long-lasting effects on the cardiovascular system. COVID-19 likely causes damage to the walls of arteries and blood vessels that manifests itself over time, according to Hooman Allaia, a professor of biochemistry and molecular genetics at the University of Southern California.

Researchers suggest that the coronavirus may “destabilize” plaque in arteries, making them more susceptible to rupture, increasing the risk of blood clots. Some scientists also believe that a gene associated with blood type may play a role in increasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes after COVID-19, although the exact mechanism is not yet clear.

Cursor previously wrote that scientists said that humanity needs to prepare for a new pandemic. The emergence and spread of new pathogens is inevitable.