AUTHOR=Zareef Rana , Salameh Elio , Hammoud Rawan , Tannouri Theresia , Bitar Fadi , Arabi Mariam 

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

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine

VOLUME=Volume 10 - 2023

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cardiovascular-medicine/articles/10.3389/fcvm.2023.1235165

DOI=10.3389/fcvm.2023.1235165

ISSN=2297-055X

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 whom 47.9% had a suspected or confirmed diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The majority of patients had mild illnesses. 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 were required in 3.5% of cases, while only 1.5% demanded intensive care admission. Only one fatality was encountered.
Conclusion: COVID-19 infection in patients with congenital heart disease exhibits a mild to moderate course, and doesn’t necessarily increase the risk of complicated disease. No correlation could be found between a specific congenital heart lesion and disease severity.