VIRGINIA – Local doctors are seeing a high number of patients with respiratory illnesses, particularly with COVID-19 and influenza.
The latest update from the Roanoke City Alleghany Health District is that influence activity appears to be stabilizing at a high level across Virginia.
Dr. Cynthia Morrow with RCAHD said increases in COVID-19 cases have slowed and hospitalizations have decreased but remained at a high level.
“We had a really rough holiday season with high levels of COVID-19 hospitalizations, case counts, and unfortunately deaths associated with COVID-19 but thankfully the trend looks at this time that it’s in our favor,” she said.
It’s not too late to get your flu or COVID vaccine. COVID-19 most commonly affects the lungs, but it can also lead to serious heart problems.
Lung damage caused by the virus prevents oxygen from reaching the heart muscle, which in turn damages the heart tissue and prevents it from getting oxygen to other tissues.
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute says in addition, the body responds to the virus by creating inflammation, which is typical when fighting a virus. In some people with COVID-19, however, the inflammation seems to go into overdrive.
Too much inflammation may further damage the heart or disrupt the electrical signals that help it beat properly. This can reduce its pumping ability or lead to arrhythmias.
10 News sat down with a local cardiologist at Carilion, Dr. Ayoub Mirza, CRMH Cath Lab Medical Director to talk about what he’s seen and how COVID affects the heart.
“COVID-19 definitely increases incidents of not only heart attacks but strokes and blood clots in the lungs. We have seen patients coming in with Covid-19 and a heart attack, and sometimes they have a combination of a heart attack, or they have a stroke,” Mirza said. “Covid-19 increases the clotting of the blood vessels which leads to heart attack. And it has been an issue. It seems to be less now with better control of covid 19 with vaccines and other preventative measures.”
Additionally, Mirza said heart attacks can weaken the heart muscle and in turn lead to heart failure. He said prevention is key.