Researchers found patients with Covid are more likely to suffer from cardiovascular conditions including abnormal heart rhythms, heart muscle inflammation, blood clots and heart attacks.
Suzanne Rolf says she was ‘a normal, fit, active mum’ before she caught Covid.
‘Every time I stand up, my heart races and I feel dreadful. At first, I could barely hold my son, I was so exhausted.’ However, studies have since found that myocarditis, which in most cases is thankfully temporary, is far more likely to be caused by the virus itself than the vaccine.In most cases it gets better. But it can, in a minority of patients, lead to more permanent or severe problems.
According to the Office for National Statistics, there are currently almost 700,000 Britons suffering from symptoms that have lingered for a year or more after the initial Covid infection. ‘Standard long Covid clinics are not equipped to diagnose or treat these sorts of serious conditions, and it is likely things are being missed.’‘I know other doctors who, like me, have pushed for a diagnosis and have been told they have microvascular angina. It’s possible that there are thousands of others out there with this.’
Other doctors say the theory deserves attention. Dr Ahmed said: ‘With long Covid there could be many causes of chest pain, and people have been ruling out scarring in the lungs or blocked major arteries in the heart.However, she adds that the condition isn’t something that many cardiologists immediately test for, saying: ‘You’d have to be actively thinking about it to look for it.’
‘It took so much work to get my diagnosis and I’m an experienced senior doctor. If we’re getting this nonsense, then how does the general public stand a chance?’ Soon after going back, her breathing difficulties returned, and she began to feel tightness in her chest.‘She said it was all stress from work and I just needed to rest.’