08/13/2023

COVID-19's Impact on Heart Health

Its effects still confound doctors

Firefighter and paramedic Mike Camilleri once had no trouble hauling heavy gear up ladders. Now battling long COVID-19, he gingerly steps onto a treadmill to learn how his heart handles a simple walk.

"This is, like, not a tough-guy test so don't fake it," said Beth Hughes, a physical therapist at Washington University in St. Louis.

Somehow, a mild case of COVID-19 set off a chain reaction that eventually left Camilleri with dangerous blood pressure spikes, a heartbeat that raced with slight exertion and episodes of intense chest pain. Doctors were stumped until Camilleri found a Washington University cardiologist who had treated patients with similar post-COVID heart trouble.

Please select this link to read the complete article from TIME.