Background COVID-19 may present with a variety of cardiovascular manifestations, and elevations of biomarkers reflecting myocardial injury and stress are prevalent. SARS-CoV-2 has been found in cardiac tissue, and myocardial dysfunction post-COVID-19 may occur. However, the association between SARS-CoV-2 RNA in plasma and cardiovascular biomarkers remains unknown. Methods and Results COVID MECH was a prospective, observational study enrolling consecutive, hospitalized patients with laboratory-confirmed infection with SARS-CoV-2 and symptoms of COVID-19. Biobank plasma samples used to measure SARS-CoV-2 RNA and cardiovascular and inflammatory biomarkers were collected in 123 patients at baseline, and in 96 (78%) at day 3. Patients were aged 60±15 years, 71 (58%) male, 68 (55%) Caucasian and 31 (25%) received mechanical ventilation during hospitalization. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in plasma from 48 (39%) patients at baseline. Patients with viremia were more frequently male, had more diabetes mellitus and lower oxygen saturation. Patients with viremia had higher concentrations of interleukin-6, C-reactive protein, procalcitonin and ferritin (all <0.001), but comparable levels of cardiac troponin T (cTnT; p=0.09), N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP; p=0.27) and D-dimer (p=0.67) to patients without viremia. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was present in plasma at either baseline or day 3 in 50 (52%) patients, and these patients experienced increase from baseline to day 3 in NT-proBNP and D-dimer concentrations, while there was no change in cTnT. Conclusions SARS-CoV-2 viremia was associated with increased concentrations of inflammatory, but not cardiovascular biomarkers. NT-proBNP and D-dimer, but not cTnT, increased from baseline to day 3 in patients with viremia.
SARS-CoV-2 viremia is associated with inflammatory, but not cardiovascular biomarkers, in patients hospitalized for COVID-19