COVID-19 IN PATIENTS WITH CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES AND WITHOUT CARDIOVASCULAR PATHOLOGY: RESULTS OF THE INTERNET SURVEY
Authors: Tyapayeva Alfiya R. , Naumova Elizabeth A. , Semenova Olga N. , Boroday Alexandra А. , Tyapkina Daria A. 
Published: January 2024

Highlights

According to the results of an online survey, the prevalence of COVID-19 is not associated with cardiovascular pathology, however, respondents in the group with cardiovascular diseases suffer significantly more often and more severely. Cardiovascular diseases have no impact on the level of vaccination and the incidence of post-vaccination reactions.

 

Abstract

Aim. To study the prevalence of COVID-19 and the clinical features of the disease among Internet users with and without cardiovascular pathology.

Methods. An anonymous online survey was conducted among users of various social networks using a questionnaire created with the help of the SurveyMonkey platform. The survey was conducted in December 2021 – January 2022, it lasted 1 month and included 23 questions regarding the clinical and demographic characteristics of respondents, the presence of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), the incidence of COVID-19, the features of clinical manifestations of the disease, the severity of the course among respondents with and without cardiovascular pathology, the need for medical care, vaccinations.

Results. 752 respondents took part in the survey: 627 participants without cardiovascular pathology and 125 with CVD. More than 50.0% (51.5 vs 62.4%) of the two groups surveyed had COVID-19 (p = 0.2). 42.5% of participants without CVD and 50.7% of people with CVD had COVID-19 in the period from September 2020 to April 2021 (2nd wave in Russia). Among the groups with and without CVD, 79.2% of individuals had coronavirus infection confirmed by any of the diagnostic methods: polymerase chain reaction (48.8% vs 50.0%), radiography (2.4% vs 2.9%), the presence of antibodies to IgG/IgM (15.1% vs 15.7%), contact with an infected person (9.8% vs 2.9%), p = 0.09. Most often, patients without CVD noted: fever, impaired sense of smell and taste, whereas participants with CVD noted: weakness, cough, shortness of breath, anxiety, depression, blood pressure destabilization. The lung lesion volume in respondents without CVD in 37.8% of cases was less than 25%, and in 43.2% of people with CVD – 25–50% (p = 0.03). Most of the patients in both groups (52.6% vs 40.6%) sought medical help at the polyclinic, the rest (39.1% vs 37.7%) resorted to self-medication. More than 65.0% of the surveyed of both groups were vaccinated against COVID-19, and more than 35.0% of them reported adverse events.

Conclusion. In respondents without CVD, the disease was more often of mild severity, and in people with CVD – of moderate severity. In participants with CVD, the lung lesion volume was more often 25–50%. All respondents noted both the complete disappearance of clinical manifestations of the disease immediately after recovery, and the long-term persistence of symptoms (up to a year). More than 35.0% of respondents preferred to self-medicate. Patients with CVD were more often hospitalized due to the severity of the disease. More than 65.0% of the survey participants of the two groups were vaccinated, and about 35.0% of them reported side effects.