COVID-19 Related Myocarditis and Stroke in Children: Spared but not Safe

Abstract

Beginning in Wuhan China in 2019, the SARS-CoV-2 infection, or COVID-19, has spread to become a devastating worldwide pandemic. Myocarditis and stroke are known direct and indirect complications of SARS-CoV-2 infection. There is a growing body of literature describing the incidence of myocarditis and stroke in adults with COVID-19 related illness, and therapies to mitigate or prevent these catastrophic complications. In children, only a small number of case reports, case series, and expert consensus statements have been published regarding these aspects of COVID-19 related conditions. The incidence of these serious complications appears to be less frequent and less fatal compared to the adult population, yet fatal outcomes from both myocarditis and stroke have been reported in infants and children. Although rare events, I hope to briefly summarize what is known about COVID-19 related myocarditis and stroke in children for this commentary in the International Journal of Integrative Cardiology.