COVID vaccination and myocarditis, Is it real?

Abstract

Introduction: SARS-CoV-2 first emerged during the coronavirus pandemic in Wuhan, China. The period from outbreak to aftermath was December 21, 2019, with the first case associated with a seafood market. The most common symptoms are fever, cough, and shortness of breath. COVID-19 has also been associated with cardiovascular involvement. Myocarditis is an inflammatory disease of the heart that can occur as a result of infection, exposure to toxic substances, and activation of the immune system. Many pharmaceutical companies and academic institutions from around the world are working together to develop a vaccine for the new coronavirus infection. Aim of the Study: Study the prevalence of myocarditis in healthy subjects after COVID vaccination due to an increase in the number of cases. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective study on the prevalence of myocarditis after COVID-19 vaccination in the city of Tobruk. The study included medical records of all patients treated for myocarditis in the Coronary Care Unit (CCU) and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Tobruk Medical Center, including gender and age group from 17 to 64 years. samples were collected. From January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2021, the total number of cases was 63. All necessary basic information and data were obtained from medical documents. Excel was used for data collection and descriptive analysis. Results: Our study included 63 patients. Of these, 51 (81%) were male and 12 (19%) were female. The male to female ratio in this study was 1.6:1. The ages of patients tested in this study ranged from 17 to 64 years, with a mean of 49 years. The highest age group observed to have a higher incidence of myocarditis after COVID-19 vaccination was 20-29 years (34.9%). According to the data, all patients (63 patients, 100%) experienced palpitations, 52 patients (82.5%) experienced mild fatigue, and 46 patients (73%) experienced shortness of breath. All patients had received the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID vaccination (mRNA vaccine). There were 56 patients (89%) after the second dose compared to 7 patients (11%) after the first dose. Echocardiograms of all these patients showed no regional wall abnormalities and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in all patients. All patients recovered within 6 days of onset. Conclusion: Cardiac symptoms in the form of myocarditis occur after COVID-19 vaccination and require further investigation to determine the actual mechanism and appropriate treatment.

Keywords: COVID-19; Vaccination; Myocarditis.