COVID-19 in congenital heart disease patients: what did we learn?!

Rana Zareef; Elio Salameh; Rawan Hammoud; Theresia Tannouri; Fadi Bitar; Mariam Arabi

doi:10.3389/fcvm.2023.1235165

COVID-19 in congenital heart disease patients: what did we learn?!

Front Cardiovasc Med. 2023 Aug 31:10:1235165. doi: 10.3389/fcvm.2023.1235165. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Rana Zareef^{1

2}, Elio Salameh^#², Rawan Hammoud^#², Theresia Tannouri^{1

2

3}, Fadi Bitar^{1

2

3}, Mariam Arabi^{1

2

3}

Affiliations

¹ Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine Department, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon.
² Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon.
³ Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine Department, Division of Pediatric Cardiology, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon.

^# Contributed equally.

Abstract

Aim: COVID-19 pandemic has spread widely at unpreceded pace. Cardiovascular comorbidities are significantly correlated with severe and critical illness. Nevertheless, studies examining the impact of congenital heart disease on COVID-19 severity are scarce and restricted to hospitalized patients. This study aims to explore the course of COVID-19 illness, severity and complications in patients with concomitant congenital heart disease.

Methodology: This study is a cross sectional survey that includes patients with congenital heart disease who are registered at the Children Heart Center at the American University of Beirut Medical Center. The survey was conducted in the pediatric cardiology outpatient clinics or remotely via phone calls.

Results: A total of 238 patients participated in the study, of which 47.9% had suspected or confirmed diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The majority of patients had mild illness. The symptoms ranged between rhinorrhea (15.6%), cough (15.6%), low-grade fever (11.2%), anosmia (2.7%), ageusia (2.5%), headache (9.8%), high-grade fever (8.5%), gastrointestinal symptoms (7.6%), lethargy (6.3%), muscle aches (5.6%), difficulty breathing (5.4%), joint pain (4.7%), and chills (4.7%). 20% of the surveyed patients required treatment at home. Hospitalization and oxygen therapy was required in 3.5% of cases, while only 1.5% demanded intensive care admission. Only one fatality was encountered.

Conclusion: COVID-19 infection in pateints with congenital heart disease exhibits a mild to moderate course, and doesn't necessarily increase risk of complicated disease. No correlation could be found between specific congenital heart lesion and disease severity.

Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; congenital cardiac abnormalities; congenital heart disease; coronavirus.