“How can I recover from COVID heart inflammation?”

Definitive diagnosis of COVID related myocarditis is made by biopsy recovery of the viral genome. This is rarely done. A presumptive diagnosis based on heart dysfunction, elevated enzymes (a sign of inflammation), a positive COVID test and ruling out other causes (coronary artery disease). Cardiac MRI can be suggestive of inflammation of the heart suggestive of myocarditis but implicating COVID directly is difficult since 25% of patients with COVID have coinfection with other viruses. The literature quoted incidence of myocarditis with COVID of 7% is likely an overestimate. Whatever the cause, myocarditis is treated with medicines that support blood pressure, and mechanical support in extreme cases. Heart failure meds (ACE inhibitors, beta blocker, etc) are used for persistent heart dysfunction. The prognosis for COVID myocarditis is not known but other viral myocarditis prognosis is usually good with 3-5 yr survival ranging from 56-83%. Improvement in pump function occurs in 50-57% of patients with persistent heart dysfunction seen in 14-52%. Follow up is generally with an echocardiogram to assess recovery of heart function.