Study Finds COVID-19 May Have Lasting Effects on Heart Rate

One in six people who have suffered from a COVID-19 attack will experience an irregular heartbeat and reduced energy levels for at least four months after experiencing their first symptoms, according to a recently released JAMA Network study . The research, which was released on Wednesday, pooled data from Apple watches, FitBits and other health trackers, concluding that for some participants it took several months after contracting the virus to return to their normal resting heart rate. The devices made it possible to follow test subjects before illness, during illness and during recovery, the researchers noted. The data followed 234 COVID-19 positive patients and 641 participants who tested negative. The study noted that the problems were more endemic in participants with severe initial symptoms of COVID-19, such as cough and shortness of breath, than in people with mild cases of the virus. On average, the study found that it took 79 days after a COVID-19 outbreak was first confirmed to return to a normal resting heart rate.