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Agapeocordis 's avatar

Good afternoon, Dr. Leonardi. As you know from Twitter, I am an older immunocompromised cardiologist. Thi article simply reinforces the bad news about COVID and the heart. Clinically, I am seeing patients with various cardiac and autonomic nervous system problems in droves. Bad, bad stuff and more of it all the time. Not just arrhythmias, but much worse coronary artery disease, and reduced heart function in all ages. It is very ugly out there. Thank you for all your efforts to educate and provoke thought. I, for one, am very appreciative.

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Anthony J Leonardi, MBBS, PhD's avatar

Thank you. Yes, the autonomic dysfunction in addition to the tissue inflammation is very interesting and concerning. Just harrowing that we will have to face covid so frequently given it is this pathogenic.

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Amina Loucas's avatar

Good day Dr Leonardi, early in the pandemic, my first patients were nurses who worked the floor. All c/o heart palpitations, dyspnea, elevation of pulse while walking, showering. Symptoms caused anxiety in some. Some had reduced EF on echo. It is disheartening as a primary care provider to see these patients suffer. And things just keep getting worse because public health officials telling the masses to wash their hands.

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Anthony J Leonardi, MBBS, PhD's avatar

yes. sadly some people are inadequately protected from infection in their duties

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Nancy Beiman's avatar

This Substack blog by a doctor claims that repeated infections after vaccination 'are not worse'. I disagree. I trust you. Is this man deluded, or is there some other reason?

https://insidemedicine.substack.com/p/are-repeat-coronavirus-infections?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

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Anthony J Leonardi, MBBS, PhD's avatar

Faust is choosing to support the statement with the Qatar study, which had a highly skewed population against increased age. Reinfections add a cumulative risk. Depending on the cohort, some reinfections have increased severity. The Qatar reinfection study had a preponderance of decreased severity of the second infection. The study from Wash U shows that each infection adds harm cumulatively. Therefore, what can be concluded, is that reinfections are not like an infection with a common cold. SARS Cov 2 has an intrinsic harmful quality that immune memory does not completely abate.

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Nancy Beiman's avatar

Thank you, I believe that the average age in Qatar is considerably lower than that in the USA and Canada. I will continue to read Dr. Faust's column, but trust you a bit more.

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