SARS-CoV-2 Myocarditis Due to Severe Obesity

Farooqi, Aneeba; Tahir, Nayha; Parkash, Om; Ying, Grace W; Zahra, Farah

Myocarditis is defined as a myocardial injury concomitant with myocardial dysfunction. Several causes are associated with it, including infectious versus inflammatory and inherited cardiomyopathies. It can be acute, subacute, or chronic, and it can present as focal versus diffuse myocardial dysfunction. Viruses diseases, including the Coxsackie B3 virus, have been a well-established cause of viral myocarditis. It is a significant cause of mortality typically among young individuals due to lymphocytic or granulomatous inflammation of the myocardium. At present, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been a detrimental cause of myocarditis with significant mortality and morbidity. Literature has revealed that most of the individuals affected by SARS-CoV-2 have significant other comorbidities, including cardiovascular, renal, or endocrine system-related comorbidities. It is noticed worldwide that patients with hypertension, diabetes mellitus, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and obesity are at a higher risk of developing severe infection. Obesity itself is related to chronic low-grade inflammation, and SARS-CoV-2 infection creates an environment of an inflammatory storm by excessive activation of cytokines, thus creating a vicious cycle of injury and organ damage. We present the case of a 33-year-old Hispanic morbidly obese male without other comorbidities diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia, complicated by severe systolic heart failure due to SARS-CoV-2 myocarditis.