Some studies have indicated an association between COVID-19 and myocarditis. What is added by this report? During March 2020–January 2021, patients with COVID-19 had nearly 16 times the risk for myocarditis compared with patients who did not have COVID-19, and risk varied by sex and age.
The rates of myocarditis were highest after the second vaccination dose in adolescent males aged 12 to 15 years (70.7 per million doses of the BNT162b2 vaccine), in adolescent males aged 16 to 17 years (105.9 per million doses of the BNT162b2 vaccine), and in young men aged 18 to 24 years (52.4 and 56.3 per million.
Myocarditis is inflammation of the heart muscle, and pericarditis is inflammation of the outer lining of the heart. In both cases, the body's immune system causes inflammation in response to an infection or some other trigger.
Viruses are a common cause of heart inflammation – known as myocarditis – and the coronavirus is no different. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in September research showing patients with COVID-19 had nearly 16 times the risk of myocarditis compared with patients without COVID-19.
Myocarditis is a rare adverse event associated with receipt of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines; the overall reporting rates of myocarditis following COVID-19 mRNA vaccination were highest among males aged <18 years (5).
Most people who develop myocarditis after getting a COVID-19 vaccine have a mild case that resolves quickly without any lasting side effects. In fact, about 95% of myocarditis cases in adults were found to be mild and resolved within a reasonable amount of time. In children, the statistics are similarly positive.
Symptoms include chest pain, palpitations (the feeling of one's heart beating very fast), and shortness of breath. If your child develops any of these symptoms after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, please contact your pediatrician and seek medical care.
Myocarditis is uncommon among patients with and without COVID-19; however, COVID-19 is a strong and significant risk factor for myocarditis, with risk varying by age group.
COVID-19 is a disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 that can trigger what doctors call a respiratory tract infection. It can affect your upper respiratory tract (sinuses, nose, and throat) or lower respiratory tract (windpipe and lungs).
For people who have had COVID-19, lingering COVID-19 heart problems can complicate their recovery.Some of the symptoms common in coronavirus “long-haulers,” such as palpitations, dizziness, chest pain and shortness of breath, may be due to heart problems — or, just from having been ill with COVID-19.
The COVID-19 vaccine made by Pfizer and BioNTech appears to put young men at elevated risk of developing a heart muscle inflammation called myocarditis, researchers in Israel say.
Coronavirus infection also affects the inner surfaces of veins and arteries, which can cause blood vessel inflammation, damage to very small vessels and blood clots, all of which can compromise blood flow to the heart or other parts of the body.