Commentary: Cause for concern or 1 in 33 million?

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Gaetano Paone, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2020-12-01
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2020 The Authors
• License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.xjtc.2020.10.033
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: JTCVS Techniques
• Volume: 4
• Start Page: 114
• End Page: 115
• Keywords: lung involvement; death rate; severity; respiratory distress syndrome (adult); COVID-19; cardiac manifestation
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Medicine and Surgery; Biology, Virology; Health Sciences, Immunology

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases worldwide exceed 33 million, with more than 1 million deaths. In the United States alone, more than 7 million cases and more than 200,000 deaths have been reported.1 Primary lung involvement predominates, and disease severity ranges widely from asymptomatic subclinical infection to severe and potentially fatal respiratory distress syndrome. An associated coagulopathy seemingly mimics disseminated intravascular coagulopathy, with related thrombotic events, most commonly venous thromboembolism including pulmonary embolus.2,3 Cardiac manifestations, including arrhythmias, acute myocardial injury, and myocarditis, have been increasingly recognized and reported