The Covid-19 pandemic and India's cardiovascular disease burden: Finding the right balance.

Chalasani, Meghana; Nasir, Khurram; Gupta, Mohit D; Kalra, Ankur

The national lockdown in India has (thus far) prevented a surge of Covid-19 cases. Due to crowded living conditions and poor social security, infectious spread may be difficult to contain and mitigate. India's healthcare system must respond to impending Covid-19 cases, as well as chronic, non-communicable diseases. Acute and chronic cardiovascular disease care have drastically decreased, suggesting reduced accessibility during the current pandemic. Neglecting chronic diseases may lead to permanent health damage and deaths that far exceed the negative outcomes of the pandemic alone. As businesses start to reopen, the healthcare system must find a balance in attending to Covid-19 rises amidst a significant chronic disease backdrop. Keywords: India, Covid-19, cardiovascular disease, pandemic.