Results:
A total of 30 COVID-19 recovered patients were included in the final
analysis (Figure 1: Central figure). The mean age of the enrolled
patients was 40.6+ 12.4 years and the cohort mostly comprised of
males (18; 60%). Among the healthy controls, the mean age was
39.2+ 5.3 years. The mean duration from discharge to cardiac MRI
examination was 62.3+ 21.8 days. All the patients were symptomatic
at the time of cardiac MRI examination with chest pain in 18 (60%),
shortness of breath in 8 (13.3%), palpitations in 5 (16.7%) and
dizziness in 2 (6.7%) being the predominant symptoms. None of the
patients had typical anginal symptoms or syncope. Co-morbidities such as
diabetes mellitus, hypertension and bronchial asthma were reported in 6
(20%), 2 (6.7%) and 1 (3.3%) patient respectively. During the index
COVID-19 hospitalization, fever, cough and dyspnea were the predominant
symptoms observed in 24 (80%), 18 (60%) and 17 (56.7%) patients
respectively. The mean duration of hospital stay was 12.5+ 7.9
days. Of the 30 patients, 11 (36.7%) were diagnosed as mild, 6 (20%)
as moderate and 13 (43.3%) as severe COVID-19 infection based on the
NIH severity classification.15 In this group of
patients, 2 (6.7%) underwent mechanical ventilation and one (3.3%)
required noninvasive ventilation with positive airway pressure. Oxygen
supplementation was required in 19 (63.3%) patients with high flow
nasal cannula (HFNC) in 3 (10%). Therapy for COVID-19 included broad
spectrum antibiotics in all patients, corticosteroids and
anticoagulation in 21 (70%) patients each, antivirals such as
Remdesivir in 19 (63.3%), antiplatelets in 10 (30%) and
immunomodulators such as Tocilizumab in one patient (3.3%). The
laboratory parameters and demographic profile have been reported in
Table 1.