COVID-19 for the Cardiologist: A Current Review of the Virology, Clinical Epidemiology, Cardiac and Other Clinical Manifestations and Potential Therapeutic Strategies

Atri, Deepak; Siddiqi, Hasan K.; Lang, Joshua; Nauffal, Victor; Morrow, David A.; Bohula, Erin A.

Summary The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19), a contagious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV2), has reached pandemic status. As it spreads across the world, it has overwhelmed healthcare systems, strangled the global economy and led to a devastating loss of life. Widespread efforts from regulators, clinicians and scientists are driving a rapid expansion of knowledge of the SARS-CoV2 virus and the COVID-19 disease. We review the most current data with a focus on our basic understanding of the mechanism(s) of disease and translation to the clinical syndrome and potential therapeutics. We discuss the basic virology, epidemiology, clinical manifestation, multi-organ consequences, and outcomes. With a focus on cardiovascular complications, we propose several mechanisms of injury. The virology and potential mechanism of injury form the basis for a discussion of potential disease-modifying therapies.