View source for Section 4: Conclusion (from DOI: 10.1007/s11886-020-01293-2)

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<b>From publication:</b> "Cardiovascular Risks in Patients with COVID-19: Potential Mechanisms and Areas of Uncertainty" published as Curr Cardiol Rep; 2020 04 29 ; 22 (5) 34. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11886-020-01293-2 <br><br><h3><u>Section 4: Conclusion</u></h3><p>COVID 19, the viral illness caused by SARS-CoV2, continues to spread across the world with alarming speed and a reported case fatality rate of ~ 3-4% worldwide without any proven therapies. The virus's port of entry into human cells, ACE2, is expressed in the myocardium, but whether direct viral damage is contributing to the disease remains unknown. Anecdotal reports and small case series have suggested an increased risk of myocardial injury, arrhythmia, and heart failure as sequelae of the disease, but more concrete epidemiological evidence is required to confirm these findings. There is strong evidence that those with underlying cardiovascular disease and risk factors are at much higher risk for worse outcomes from SARS-CoV-2 infections, but whether this is causal or simply an association remains elusive. Given that we currently have no proven effective therapy against SARS-CoV2, understanding the root cause of this association is particularly critical, as it may lead to avenues for intervention. In the meantime, keeping human-to-human transmission rates as low as possible through numerous interventions around the world is our only hope to prevent healthcare systems from being overwhelmed and to buy us time for effective therapies to be developed.</p>Compliance with Ethical Standards