Have you heard the latest ripple effect of Covid-19? Cleveland Clinic is reporting a notable increase in cases of broken-heart syndrome – the colloquial name for stress cardiomyopathy. It’s a dysfunction or failure in the heart muscle attributed to psychological, social, or emotional stress. Dr. Ankur Kalra, the cardiologist who led the study that published these conclusions in the Journal of the American Medical Association told Cleveland.com in a phone interview that “This is going to be the crisis of our lifetime.” It provides new insight into the impact of the pandemic beyond the illness itself, because none of the patients in the study tested positive for the coronavirus. It’s as if the social isolation generated by prevention measures has itself become a plague.
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