Impact of the Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic on Cardiac Emergencies and Future Perspectives in Turkey

Abstract

SARS-CoV-2-associated COVID-19 pandemic has affected the daily life of people across the world in 2020. Data about the course of viral involvement continues to be accumulated. COVID-19 is a multi-systemic disease, and the clinical presentations and possible complications may vary widely in different patient groups. The cardiovascular system is a primary target of COVID-19, and direct or indirect effects of viral involvement are observed. In addition to the direct effects of viral involvement on the cardiovascular system, decrement in acute cardiac emergencies has been experienced in many cardiology clinics in Turkey during the pandemic. Moreover, there may be a possible increase in out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in the near future. In this narrative review, we aimed to discuss the cardiac manifestations of COVID-19, the possible drug interactions related to the drugs used for COVID-19 management, and the effect of the pandemic on cardiac emergencies. We believe that understanding the natural mechanism of cardiac involvement of SARS-CoV-2 and emphasizing the data about out-of-hospital arrests will help clinicians effectively deal with the preventable cardiovascular causes of death in the forthcoming waves of COVID-19.