AFIB a risk with COVID

[agnostic1]

Atrial fibrillation is a risk factor for major adverse cardiovascular events in COVID-19, this is scary.

sciencedirect.com/science/a...

[Cavalierrubie]

It is scary as you say. I haven’t, thankfully, had Covid, but l know many on here have and l don’t recall any saying they were hospitalised. Correct me if l am wrong. Surely, then this would apply to all heart patients and people with serious comorbidities? I think we are all aware of the possibilities, but as someone once said we can get killed walking across the road. There is so much sensationalism out there in the media, l am surprised we are still alive. Keep smiling.

[Cat04 in reply to Cavalierrubie]

My catheter ablation lasted until I caught covid. I was admitted to an isolation ward and went on to have a second surgical ablation during OHS for a valve replacement.

[Karendeena in reply to Cavalierrubie]

I had COVID in January this year. My symptoms were mild (no cough as such) and because it triggered an AF attack my vitals were checked. All was ok and my oxygen levels were 💯!! I recovered in a few days and tested negative after 10 days

[BobD Volunteer]

Old news. Covid has been known to cause AF for a long time.

[agnostic1 in reply to BobD]

And to apparently undo ablation results? And to have worse outcomes for people with AFIB?

I guess what is old news to super informed people like you is news to rest of us.

[Autumn_Leaves in reply to BobD]

Not just old news, but the study was published in 2022 based on patient data from 2020/21 so during the period before vaccines and the emergence of the “milder” omicron variants. We’re in a very different place now. That’s not to say that Covid can’t have a negative impact on people with AF or who have an underlying susceptibility to AF.

[108cat]

Thank you, it's news to me although not entirely a surprise ... seems logical that COVID is likely to have an impact on Afibbers .. I'm not anxious about it but I am cautious about mixing with people, and ask friends with symptoms to stay away until clear.

[Bagrat]

I'm so sorry this is scary for you. Life is very uncertain and although amassing knowledge can be empowering, I guess it has its down side. I think we are most fortunate to have been diagnosed. The risks for those who don't know they have AF are far more complex.Knowing about such statistics does not help individuals but helps the planners in public health organising future care.

[Buzby62]

It’s well known I believe that Covid can trigger arrhythmias in people that don’t suffer with arrhythmias usually. Covid is still a nasty virus and I wouldn’t want to pass it on to my worst enemy but most don’t even test anymore.

I’ve had Covid 3 times, twice pre ablation which triggered AF immediately. My ablation was December and my 3rd Covid just a few weeks ago with no AF.

I have had a very short episode since but that was after letting my guard down on the alcohol front on an evening out to wake at 4am in AF which was gone by 7am. My fault !!!

Best wishes

[agnostic1 in reply to Buzby62]

Thank you so much for sharing! And may you stay in sinus.

[Autumn_Leaves in reply to Buzby62]

That’s good news. I hope your ablation success continues. 👍

[opal11uk]

I broke my hip two years ago playing table tennis, I was a fit 78 year old and enjoyed all of my activities up to then, and when admitted into hospital I was diagnosed with Covid with no symptoms whatsoever....it was the second time I was positive, the first time just a rotten cold so I tend not to read these articles and frighten myself to death.......as Cavalierrubie points out, you can get killed walking across the road, as my Father did so, just take care of yourself.

[mike1961]

After 20+ years of PAF (and an ablation (successful) in 2018), I got covid in late 2022 and a couple of weeks later went into persAF for 10 weeks which was more or less sorted by second ablation in Jan 23.

[Autumn_Leaves in reply to mike1961]

That must have been a bit of a blow after a successful ablation and staying well for so long. Glad your second ablation is holding up well so far. I was only 10 months free of AF (no ablation, just random luck) when I came down with Covid and it started up again. My arrhythmia consultant said it was a common thing amongst AF patients. I asked his opinion on the Covid vaccine and he said “take it” with no hesitation. I must admit I’m a bit scaredy-cat about the possibility of it triggering AF.

[Tapanac in reply to Autumn_Leaves]

I’ve had the covid vacs 4 times. The first time no problems, but the other three times I was so ill with afib for more than five weeks. No more boosters for me I don’t think.

[Singwell]

We certainly talked about this on and off here for 3 years. It is a scary thought. But it's also the case that many members here have had COVID and lived to tell the day. Try not to frighten yourself- dealing with AF is challenging enough - and we must be thankful that the acute pandemic stage is over. Personally I now always wear a mask on planes and if in a very crowded airless space, and hospital spaces such as A and E. Just common sense as I work with my voice.

[Lupaal]

Just recovering from a really nasty bout of covid, not needed medical intervention, thank goodness but I first had Afib after getting covid the first time. I feel let down because I was too young , at 70, to get the spring covid booster. You'd think people with AF would have qualified.

[Buzby62 in reply to Lupaal]

I believe its up to your GP surgery to put you on the list. I was offered it at 61 because of my PAF. I didn’t take it up as it was too close to my ablation and made the decision to give the ablation more time. Maybe speak to your surgery to get on the list for the next one if that’s what you want.

Best wishes

[Sixtychick in reply to Lupaal]

I agree that all people with a Fib should get the spring jab.I am saving up to get a private covid jab next spring. They are round about £100. I shall be able to get the NHS Autumn one free though. I first got AFib, after I caught a nasty virus at my sons wedding in 2014. I caught Covid in Feb 2023 and it started my AFib off.I didn’t realise I had it, as I only had a bit of a cough, but test was positive. I had an ablation last September and I’m hoping it holds, if I caught Covid again.

[SkyBluePInk47]

Everyone is different. I have had covid 3 times and so has my husband. He has had covid shots and I didn’t have any. Neither of us had any A-Fib or other arrhythmias from it.

Neither of us were very sick, my hubby had more symptoms than I had and he has never had a-fib and he is super fit. He wasn’t more sick than a medium upper respiratory infection the first time, in 2021 and then the next two occurrences it was milder. I had very mild symptoms all three times. I just had covid about 3 weeks ago for 3rd time, caught fm my hubby each time.

I wouldn’t of known that I had it if I didn’t test I had the mildest irritation in my chest/lungs for a small part of about 1 1/2 days. I would of thought it was a bit of irritation from maybe pollen from outside if I didn’t do a covid test… only reason I did one is my husband figured he probably had it because it has been going around in our area.

[Autumn_Leaves in reply to SkyBluePInk47]

It’s hugely variable and you can’t always predict how you’ll fare until it happens.

[Vonnegut]

When I tested positive for covid I had no other symptoms but the positive test results for 14 days but I did get an AF episode around the time I must have been infected which an extra Flecainide as a pip ended in a few hours.

[Crumbling]

I had my first recorded AF after my flu/covid jab so now I don’t know whether to have one this winter or not … how do I decide?

[agnostic1 in reply to Crumbling]

I have had Afib since 2018, and the third jab (first booster) did put me in high HR for a day(not Afib)- a known side effect(depending on where you research) - have not had further boosters or vaccinations since...

[Autumn_Leaves in reply to agnostic1]

A higher HR is your immune response responding to what it perceives as an invading pathogen. You’ll notice your HR increasing with any viral infection and certainly my HR was very high in the early days of getting a Covid infection. My husband had a gastric infection last week and asked me to check his pulse, and it was about 100bpm. He’s a fit and well person with no diagnosis of anything, has no need for any kind of medication etc etc. I suggested that he take his temperature — just to make sure it wasn’t a cardiac condition brewing up — and bingo! He had a fever too, but so far he’d only felt a bit off his food until he felt his HR wasn’t right. So a high HR wouldn’t be a reason that I’d skip a vaccine, as it’s what I’d expect. My experience of Covid was far worse than any vaccine but having said that I understand why some people are wary or hesitant.

[Tapanac in reply to Crumbling]

I've had the covid vacs 4 times. The first time no problems, but the other three times I was so ill with afib for more than five weeks. No more boosters for me I don’t think.

[hausjac]

I've had Covid 3 times no worse than a heavy cold with no cardiac problems. Likewise with the 6 vax I've had. Am I lucky - don't know. I have PAF and AV re-entry tachycardia so the anti-arrythmics I take for the latter may help

[En85]

Covid is believed (by two cardiologists) to have caused my persistent AF, because the time line matches and I have no other health or risk possible cause. Any viral and bacterial infection can have effects on the heart, this is unfortunately true for completely healthy individuals too.

[Autumn_Leaves]

very true, it’s not just Covid but any viral illness. My arrhythmia consultant said this too. He said they’d seen a lot of AF patients more prone to AF episodes in the 6 months or so following a Covid infection. Interestingly, when my husband caught a flu like virus in January, this was about 3 or 4 months after we’d both had Covid, I didn’t pick up his flu illness at all BUT I had a few episodes of AF. I reckon my immune system had been activated by his virus and the inflammatory response was probably provoking AF. Most disappointing as the AF seemed to have been setting down after having Covid. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[Autumn_Leaves]

It’s important to point out that this study was published in 2022 and uses patient data from 2020/2021 ie the early stages in the pandemic when mortality rates were high in older and clinically vulnerable populations. Since then most of us have had a combination of vaccines and/or Covid infection so we’re no longer as immunologically vulnerable as a population. What was the case in 2020 can’t be extrapolated to where we are in now in 2024.

[Suebo2]

but if on anticoagukation you are safer

[marcyh]

I've just had a second bout of Covid. Neither bout has triggered AF, but my Covid injections definitely did. In fact, I had to have a second ablation. My question would be whether these are related to boosters. The stats for cardiac events after the rollouts are indisputable.

[JOY2THEWORLD49]

Hi

Yes. We are at risk.

But I had No.8 and it was either my untreated UTi or Covid jab which gave me 2 tugs of my heart 2 days and 1 tug of my heart on 3 days after covid. I did take 2 AMOZIL-CLAV one prior and 1 after 8 hours after. With the world on the move. But once I started a 7-day course of AMOZIL-CLAV it stopped.

My Chemist said you have a risk both ways when you have AF. Whether you have COVID jab or not. (I have never had it) Flu yes and was found with Pneumonia and Cocci in my sputum. It cleared 5 days course of Amozil.

UTI cleared with Amozil-Clav (one of my cultured UTI)

I will be humming and harring in 6 months time whether to have or not have. But to date I have all the variants covered.

cherio JOY. 75. (NZ)

[Madscientist16]

The common cold and the flu have long been known to trigger, worsen or affect the ablated with AF, so it is no surprise that Covid would do the same. When your body is ill it increases the heart rate. Add in dehydration and lack of sleep and the heart is stressed.