Cornelia Tremblay, Ulrike M. M. Bauer, Jens Beudt, Stefan Orwat, Gerhard-Paul Diller, Constanze Pfitzer, Paul C. Helm
National Register for Congenital Heart Defects. Competence Network for Congenital Heart Defects. University Hospital Muenster. Deutsches Herzzentrum der Charité. Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin.
Germany
Journal of Clinical Medicine
J Clin Med 2026; 15:
DOI: 10.3390/jcm15051986
Abstract
Background: Patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) were considered to belong to a vulnerable group at risk for COVID-19 infection. Our aim was to investigate the severity of acute COVID-19 infection in this patient group as well as the occurrence of sequelae.
Methods: We performed telephone interviews with all accessible COVID positive CHD patients from our online COVID-19 patient survey. Baseline information was extracted from our nationwide data bank, with further details from hospital discharge letters.
Results: Ninety-nine patients (or parents) were interviewed (male 50.5%): 28 children, 32 young adults (up to 29 years), and 39 adults (30 years and above). Twenty patients had simple, 38 moderate, and 41 complex CHD (10.1% were cyanotic). In twelve patients the CHD was native, ten underwent univentricular palliation, and the rest had corrective cardiac treatment. Thirty patients had additional non-cardiac risk factors. The acute course of COVID-19 was mild in 50, moderate in 38, and severe in three patients, requiring hospitalization. No deaths occurred. Long COVID symptoms (persisting ≥ 12 weeks) were reported by 31 patients.
Conclusions: Despite underlying CHD, the severity of the acute course of COVID-19 in our cohort is comparable to that in the general population. Even patients with cyanotic CHD, complex CHD after univentricular palliation, or those with pulmonary hypertension, usually had a mild to moderate course, so that hospitalization was rarely necessary. The percentage of CHD patients reporting Long COVID symptoms (31%) was higher than in the general population. The long-term impact of COVID-19 and Long COVID in CHD patients is unknown and remains to be investigated.
Category
Class I. Pulmonary Hypertension Associated with Congenital Cardiovascular Disease
Age Focus: Pediatric Pulmonary Vascular Disease or Adult Pulmonary Vascular Disease
Fresh or Filed Publication: Fresh (PHresh). Less than 1-2 years since publication
Article Access
Free PDF File or Full Text Article Available Through PubMed or DOI: Yes