Evidence shows Covid-19 is a Cardiovascular Disease not a Pulmonary Virus!
According to numerous articles it appears that Covid-19 is more Cardiovascular related than Respiratory related. The virus has shown that it can cause heart damage and cause small vessel thrombosis. Small vessel thrombosis prevents the capillaries from exchanging gases properly. Therefore, patients that have good pulmonary capacity and function are showing signs of hypoxemia and relatively healthy patients are having Neurologic disorders such as stroke.
Perhaps we should be testing patients that have had Covid-19 for Cardiovascular disease. A full battery of test could test the 5 parts of the Cardiovascular system relatively quickly and inexpensively. Using a comprehensive physiologic testing system like the Falcon Pro, Technologist can test the Venous and Arterial system in the peripheries in less the 40 minutes. A TCD exam with the Dolphin TCD system with HITS detection and monitoring will take another 40 minutes. An Echo exam to test for Myocarditis would round out the test needed to test all 5 parts of the Cardiovascular System.
The cost load on Medical Institutions would be low since all the exams are relatively low cost and are reimbursed well by most insurances. The exams can be performed in the outpatient setting and are readily available in many facilities.
A few good Articles to help appreciate the need and justify testing the 5 parts of the Cardiovascular system are:
Is COVID-19 Primarily a Heart and Vascular Disease?
Why COVID-19 is, in fact, a microvascular disease—and what that means for clinicians
Covid-19 and Cerebrovascular diseases: a comprehensive overview
