Developed by Pfizer

This information is for people with:
heart conditions

Know the
relationship between
heart conditions
and COVID-19

COVID-19 spreads fast. In some people it can start with mild symptoms and quickly progress to more severe disease.

What is COVID-19?

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus.1 If you are infected with the virus, you will most likely experience mild to moderate respiratory illness.1
Most people can expect to get better without needing special treatment, but some people can become very sick and require medical attention.1

Are you at increased risk?

3 in 5 (60%)

adults in the United States
have a chronic disease2

The older you are, the greater the chance of having at least one medical condition that can put you at high risk of getting very sick from COVID-19.3

The likelihood of having one or more such medical conditions increases by3:

10%

for people up to and including age 25 years

33%

for people up to and including age 50 years

66%

for people up to and including age 70 years

You are more likely to develop serious illness from COVID-19 if you have a condition or risk factor like4:

Age

50 years or older

Age

Immuno-compromised condition

Weakened immune system

Immunocompromised condition

Cancer

Current or past

Cancer

Lung disease

Such as asthma (moderate to severe)

Lung disease

Overweight or obese

Body Mass Index
(BMI) >25

Overweight or obese

Racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities

Demographics and health equity

Racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities

Heart conditions

Heart failure, coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathies

Heart conditions

Diabetes

Type 1 or Type 2

Diabetes

This list does not include all possible conditions.

If you have diabetes, heart disease, lung disease, or cancer and you get COVID-19, you are more likely to4-8:

Get very sick

Be hospitalized

Need a machine to help you breathe

Need intensive care

Die

The number of high-risk medical conditions you have increases your risk of death from COVID-194,7:

Number of high-risk
medical conditions7

Risk of death7

0

1x

1

1.5x

2-5

2.6x

6-10

3.3x

10+

3.8x

the risk of death

COVID-19 and
heart conditions
If you have any of these heart conditions listed below, you are at 
high risk of getting very sick from COVID-19.4,6,9,10
Cardiomyopathy
Ischemic heart disease
Heart failure
Coronary artery disease

If you have heart disease, the older you are the higher the risk is of getting very sick with COVID-1915:

If you are 50 to 60 years old, your risk is almost

2x

as high

If you are 60 years of age or older, your risk is almost

3x

as high

as someone with heart disease who is younger than 50 years old.

If you have high blood pressure15:
The risk of getting very sick from COVID-19 is almost
2x
as high
The risk of death from COVID-19 is almost
3x
as high
as someone who does not have high blood pressure.

If you have heart disease and get COVID-19, your risk of getting very sick and dying is almost double compared with someone who does not have heart disease.15

If you think you have been infected with
COVID-19, remember to ACT fast.

A
Assess
C
Confirm
T
Talk

Assess for COVID-19 symptoms and your risk factors like heart conditions

If you have been exposed to COVID-19, you may start having symptoms 2 to 14 days after exposure.16 COVID-19 symptoms can be similar to other infections, like the flu.17

If you have flu-like symptoms, it may be COVID-19.17
Symptoms of COVID-19 can look like16:

Muscle or
body aches

Shortness of
breath or difficulty breathing

Congestion or
runny nose

Cough

Diarrhea

Fatigue

Fever or chills

Headache

Nausea or
vomiting

New loss of smell and/or taste

Sore throat

Confirm through COVID-19 testing
If you have any COVID-19 symptoms, get tested as soon as possible.13
If you do not have symptoms but think you've been exposed to COVID-19, wait at least 5 full days after exposure and then test for COVID-19 infection.13

If you have COVID-19, do not delay. Even if your symptoms are mild, treatment must be started within days after you first develop symptoms to be effective.15

If you find it hard to breathe, get immediate medical attention.16

Talk to your healthcare professional about treatment options

Treatment options for COVID-19 can be discussed to see if one is right for you.19

These treatments must be taken within days if you begin having symptoms.19

This is why it is so important to contact your healthcare professional as soon as possible.19

References

  1. World Health Organization. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Accessed October 12, 2022. https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus#tab=tab_1
  2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Chronic diseases in America. Reviewed May 6, 2022. Accessed October 12, 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/infographic/chronic-diseases.htm
  3. Clark A, Jit M, Warren-Gash C, et al. How many are at increased risk of severe COVID-19 disease? Rapid global, regional and national estimates for 2020. Posted April 22, 2020. Accessed October 13, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.04.18.20064774
  4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. People with certain medical conditions. Updated September 2, 2022. Accessed October 12, 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/people-with-medical-conditions.html#:~:text=Older%20adults%20are%20at%20highest,18%2D29%20years
  5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Basics of COVID-19. Updated November 4, 2021. Accessed October 12, 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/about-covid-19/basics-covid-19.html
  6. European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Risk factors and risk groups. Updated January 21, 2022. Accessed October 12, 2022. https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/covid-19/latest-evidence/risk-factors-risk-groups
  7. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Underlying medical conditions associated with higher risk for severe COVID-19: information for healthcare professionals. Updated June 15, 2022. Accessed October 12, 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/clinicalcare/underlyingconditions.html
  8. Gao YD, Ding M, Dong X, et al. Risk factors for severe and critically ill COVID-19 patients: a review. Allergy. 2021;76(2):428-455. doi:10.1111/all.14657
  9. World Health Organization. COVID-19: symptoms and severity. Updated April 18, 2022. Accessed October 12, 2022. https://www.who.int/ westernpacific/emergencies/covid-19/information/asymptomatic-covid-19
  10. Goldman JD, Robinson PC, Uldrick TS, Ljungman P. COVID-19 in immunocompromised populations: implications for prognosis and repurposing of immunotherapies. J Immunother Cancer. 2021;9(6):e002630. doi:10.1136/jitc-2021-002630
  11. UnitedHealth Group. Cardiomyopathy definition. Accessed November 8, 2022. https://justplainclear.com/en/term/cardiomyopathy1673
  12. Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Social Security Cardiovascular Disability Criteria. Ischemic heart disease. In: Cardiovascular disability: updating the Social Security listings. National Academies Press (US); 2010. https://nap.nationalacademies.org/initiative/committee-on-social-security-cardiovascular-disability-criteria
  13. UnitedHealth Group. Heart failure definition. Accessed November 8, 2022. https://justplainclear.com/en/term/heart-failure769
  14. UnitedHealth Group. Coronary heart disease definition. Accessed November 8, 2022. https://justplainclear.com/en/term/coronary-heart-disease2195
  15. Bae SA, Kim SR, Kim M-N, Shim WJ, Park S-M. Impact of cardiovascular disease and risk factors on fatal outcomes in patients with COVID-19 according to age: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Heart. 2021;107(5):373-380. doi:10.1136/heartjnl-2020-317901
  16. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Symptoms of COVID-19. Updated August 11, 2022. Accessed October 12, 2022. https://www. cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html
  17. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Similarities and differences between flu and COVID-19. Reviewed September 28, 2022. Accessed October 12, 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/symptoms/flu-vs-covid19.htm
  18. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. What to do if you were exposed to COVID-19. Updated August 24, 2022. Accessed October 31, 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/if-you-were-exposed.html
  19. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. COVID-19 treatments and medications. Updated August 5, 2022. Accessed October 12, 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/treatments-for-severe-illness.html