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New research out of Germany suggests that COVID-19 can leave victims with long-lasting heart damage, even after they recover.
A study of recovered patients between the age of 45 and 53 found that three-quarters still had structural damage to their heart up to three months later.
According to research, the patients were mostly healthy before their COVID-19 diagnosis. Most had recovered from coronavirus at home and 18 percent never even had any symptoms of the virus. The damage found included inflammation of the heart muscle and the protective tissue that surrounds this vital organ.
Another study of older victims who died from the virus found that it had infected the hearts of 41 percent of patients.
While COVID-19 was originally thought to be a respiratory disease, researchers now say it infects the blood vessels and attacks major organs including the heart, lungs, and liver.
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