The long-term cardiovascular risks of SARSCoV2 infection and reinfections Your heart is under silent, cumulative attack from SARSCoV2, and every reinfection can reload/worsen the damage. Here a personal recap of 10 important studies from the last 2 years showing exactly how this virus and its reinfections can/may shape (and shorten) your cardiovascular future. Evidence is clear, long-term, and growing. Print and show your Cardiologist. Let’s connect the dots… 1. Immunothrombosis multi-omics study: 3 months after hospitalisation, long COVID patients still have blood biologically “clot-ready” with persistent endothelial activation and prothrombotic signalling. x.com/HarrySpoelstra/status/… 2. IL-6 & SAA 6-year study: Higher acute-phase IL-6 and SAA levels independently predict cardiovascular events and death up to 6 years later, the initial inflammatory storm leaves a lasting CV mark. x.com/HarrySpoelstra/status/… 3. MIS-C long-term outcomes: Up to 4.5 years later, MIS-C raises cardiovascular disease risk 14× and hypertension 9× in children, with risks still accumulating. x.com/HarrySpoelstra/status/… 4. Viruses & cardiac disease review: SARS-CoV-2 stands out for direct cardiomyocyte invasion explosive damage relentless accumulation of risk with every reinfection. x.com/HarrySpoelstra/status/… 5. Mayo PET long COVID study: Persistent cerebral hypometabolism in fatigue/PEM patients still detectable up to 2 years post-infection. x.com/HarrySpoelstra/status/… 6. Reinfection CV outcomes summary: Reinfections worsen cumulative heart damage, arrhythmias, thrombosis, stroke risk and long COVID cardiovascular symptoms. x.com/HarrySpoelstra/status/… 7. Youth reinfection & long COVID study: Reinfection roughly doubles PASC risk, with myocarditis up to 3.6× higher, heart disease ~2× higher and increased thromboembolism. x.com/HarrySpoelstra/status/… 8. Mild infection reinfection risk: Even mild cases trigger lasting endothelial damage and prothrombotic state (1.5–2× long-term CV risk), each reinfection compounds the burden. x.com/HarrySpoelstra/status/… 9 Mitochondrial dysfunction in long COVID: Persistent mitochondrial dysfunction and suppressed oxidative phosphorylation remain in long COVID, pointing to durable multi-organ impact. x.com/HarrySpoelstra/status/… 10. Cumulative reinfection impact on future CV health: Reinfection stacks additional damage on prior endothelial injury and inflammation, increasing lifetime risk of heart failure, arrhythmias, thrombosis and accelerated cardiovascular disease. x.com/HarrySpoelstra/status/… 11. Extra, my earlier general reminder post on this exact theme: x.com/HarrySpoelstra/status/… ‼️Overall convergence across the studies: Immunothrombosis, acute inflammation markers, direct invasion, endothelial damage, and mitochondrial issues create lasting CV vulnerability that reinfections can keep reloading. #L0ngC0vid The pattern is very clear. Fewer infections = lower lifetime cardiovascular risk. You only have one heart. Protect it! #AvoidSars2 #AvoidReinfections #CleanAir #VaccineUpdated

I'm joining the call for up-to-date scientific representation and meaningful patient engagement in #LongCovid and #ME. I'm proud to support the Open Letter to @rcpsych, backed by 58 orgs and 1200 signatories. #HearOurVoices #RCPsychIC 📩 tinyurl.com/46enh82n

🚨GENERAL REMINDER: YOU ONLY HAVE ONE HEART, TREAT IT WITH RESPECT! Reinfections aren't harmless "boosters", they stack the deck against your HEART, turning one hit into compounding long-term cardiovascular risks. ➡️3 important and recent articles (from 2025–2026) providing the strong evidence that SARS-CoV-2 reinfections increase risks of long COVID, including cardiovascular complications like myocarditis, arrhythmias, heart disease, thromboembolism, and related issues( There're more!!): ➡️1. Long COVID associated with SARS-CoV-2 reinfection among children and adolescents in the omicron era (RECOVER-EHR): a retrospective cohort study. Published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases (2026). This large retrospective study of nearly 500,000 youth found reinfection roughly doubles the risk of long COVID/PASC overall (RR 2.08), with elevated risks for myocarditis (up to 3.6×), arrhythmias, heart disease, thromboembolism, chest pain, and other cardiovascular signs/symptoms, even in vaccinated individuals. thelancet.com/journals/lanin… ➡️2. Long COVID Syndrome Prevalence in 2025 in an Integral Healthcare Consortium in the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona: Persistent and Transient Symptoms. Published in Vaccines (MDPI, 2025). This real-world study showed long COVID prevalence was 3–10 times higher in people with three or more infections vs. one, alongside a post-pandemic doubling of thrombotic events (cardiovascular-related clots) across populations, linking reinfections to worsened persistent symptoms including cardiovascular sequelae. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/article… ➡️3. Cardiovascular damage and comorbidities related to long COVID: pathomechanisms, prevention, and therapy. Published in Physiological Research (2025). This review explicitly states reinfections can trigger de novo long COVID or exacerbate its severity, contributing to persistent cardiovascular risks like heart failure, dysrhythmias, myocardial infarction, and stroke, building on evidence of cumulative damage from repeat SARS-CoV-2 exposures. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/article… ➡️So: 1. Reinfection worsens endothelial dysfunction (already impaired from prior COVID), raising cardiac event risks, especially in those with pre-existing atherosclerosis or CV factors, 2. Repeat infections cumulatively boost long COVID odds, including cardiovascular manifestations (e.g, myocarditis, arrhythmias, heart conditions 3× higher in some cohorts), 3. Studies show 1.35–2× higher long COVID risk after reinfection vs. single infection. One large pediatric analysis found ~2× higher PASC (including heart-related) post-reinfection in Omicron era. 4. Experts note each infection adds damage, accelerating vascular aging, plaque issues, and overall CV burden, even mild cases. The reminder: Reinfections aren't harmless "boosters"—they stack the deck against your heart, turning one hit into compounding long-term cardiovascular risks. YOU ONLY HAVE ONE HEART, TREAT IT WITH RESPECT! PLEASE: #AVOIDREINFECTIONS #AVOIDSARS2 #HEARTHEALTH #CLEANAIR

People with Long Covid and ME deserve excellent supportive mental health care. That is why we are reaching out to #RCPsychIC to include current patient expertise in future policy. What can be done to move forward? Why did 58 charities & orgs sign an open letter with concerns?👇️ #HearOurVoices 🔄