The COVID-19 pandemic has not only affected the lungs but also the brain and other organs of the human body. One of the known complications of the disease is sudden cardiac death. Three independent studies from Paris, Lombardy, and New York now show that since the beginning of the pandemic, there has been a significant increase in the number of sudden deaths outside hospitals.
According to a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine by scientists from Policlinico San Matteo in Pavia, sudden deaths outside hospitals increased by 58% compared to the previous year during the first wave of COVID-19 in Lombardy. In Paris and New York, the number of sudden cardiac deaths has increased even more. A study published in Lancet Public Health by Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou in Paris showed that the weekly incidence of sudden deaths outside hospitals almost doubled from 13.42 to 26.64 per 1 million inhabitants at the local peak of the disease. In New York, a study by Northwell Health-Lenox Hill Hospital published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology reported an increase in sudden deaths outside hospitals by a factor of 2.89.
Experts suggest that the increase in sudden deaths outside hospitals could be due to the rise in the Troponin marker, which indicates a heart attack, in many COVID-19 patients. The fulminant course of the disease with thromboembolism and lung failure could also be a factor in the increase in patients dying outside hospitals. A recent study published in the scientific journal Heart Rhythm compared the seroprevalence of the population in individual neighborhoods with the number of sudden deaths outside hospitals and found a clear correlation, indicating that the places with the most COVID-19 infections also had the most sudden deaths outside hospitals. However, it is also possible that some of the additional sudden cardiac deaths occur because people avoid hospitals due to fear of infection. A British study also supports this theory, showing that there were significantly more cardiovascular deaths during the first lockdown.
In conclusion, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a significant increase in sudden deaths outside hospitals, particularly due to the virus’s impact on the heart and other organs. It is crucial to raise awareness of the potential risks and encourage people to seek medical attention promptly if they experience any symptoms.
