COVID-19 Increases Risk of Heart Problems, mRNA Vaccines Produce No Extra Side Effects in Cancer Patients: Studies

A computer image created by Nexu Science Communication together with Trinity College in Dublin, shows a model structurally representative of a betacoronavirus, which is the type of virus linked to COVID-19, better known as the coronavirus linked to the Wuhan outbreak, shared with Reuters on Feb. 18, 2020. (NEXU Science Communication via Reuters)

New research has shed further light on how COVID-19 and vaccines affect the human body, with one study claiming an increased risk of heart problems after contracting the illness and another report suggesting that vaccines generate no additional side effects among those affected by cancer.

Even if some time has passed since a person recovered from COVID-19, they are still vulnerable to heart problems, according to a study of 153,760 U.S. veterans, published in Nature Medicine magazine. These individuals were infected with the novel coronavirus before the vaccines were available.

The study compared the rate of cardiovascular problems in this group against 5.66 million veterans who did not catch the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus and 5.86 million veterans whose health data were collected in 2017.

“Beyond the first 30 [days] after infection, individuals with COVID-19 are at increased risk of incident cardiovascular disease spanning several categories, including cerebrovascular disorders, dysrhythmias, ischemic and non-ischemic heart disease, pericarditis, myocarditis, heart failure, and thromboembolic disease,” an abstract of the study stated.

Even among individuals who were not hospitalized during the acute phase of the infection, these “risks and burdens” were observed. Such risks increased in a graded fashion depending on whether the individuals were non-hospitalized, hospitalized, or admitted to intensive care during the acute phase.

The risk of cardiovascular disease among those who survive an acute COVID-19 infection is “substantial,” the study claimed.

Researchers recommended that COVID-19 patients undergoing treatment should also be given cardiovascular care.

“It really spared no one … People with COVID-19 should pay attention to their health and seek medical care if they experience symptoms like chest pain, chest pressure, palpitation, swelling in the legs, etc.,” Ziyad Al-Aly, one of the authors of the study, said to Reuters.

In another study by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, researchers looked at how COVID-19 vaccination from Pfizer affected people suffering from cancer; 2,203 individuals took part in the study.

At least 67.5 percent of respondents who completed at least one of the two surveys had a history of the disease, of which 17.8 percent are receiving active treatment.

“When patients with cancer were compared with those without cancer, few differences were noted. Active cancer treatment similarly had little influence on adverse event profiles,” from the report.

Besides this, “systemic adverse events were generally more frequent after the second dose of the vaccine, a pattern particularly noted for fatigue, joint pain, and chills.”

Among fully vaccinated cancer patients, the most common adverse effects registered were fatigue at 33.9 percent, headache at 16 percent, and muscle pain at 12 percent, while those who received immunotherapy suffered from muscle pain at a higher rate of 34 percent.