Author: Aldiyarbek Nurlan
Editor: Merentsova Anastasia
A study of over 80,000 adult patients hospitalized with influenza over eight seasons found that sudden serious heart complications were common, occurring in 12% of patients, or 1 in 8.
Over the past month, there have been cases of healthy athletes showing signs of heart complications after recovering from COVID-19. For example, Florida basketball player Michael Ojo, 27, who recovered from COVID-19, died of a heart attack during training. The virus can damage the lungs and other organs, including the heart. The inflammatory process makes the heart more vulnerable to potentially fatal arrhythmias during intense exercise.
In this study, 12% of adults hospitalized with influenza had acute heart complications. Of these, 30% were admitted to the intensive care unit and 7% died in the hospital. The researchers recommend getting the flu shot for everyone 6 months of age or older during the flu season.
Influenza vaccination is especially important for people at high risk of developing serious complications, including people with cardiovascular disease. They are allowed to get influenza shots, but the vaccine must not be live attenuated (weakened germ vaccine).
Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/08/200828102152.htm
