Post-COVID Cardiovascular Recovery Center

Overview

COVID-19 (coronavirus) is a dangerous virus that affects your body in many ways. It can also harm your heart and cardiovascular system.

Studies show that COVID-19 can damage the heart muscle and cause inflammation, scarring and blood clots. Your risk of complications from the virus is also higher if you have heart disease.

Why Choose Cleveland Clinic for Cardiovascular Recovery from COVID-19?

Cleveland Clinic’s Post-COVID Cardiovascular Recovery Program helps patients who have had COVID-19 begin the recovery process. The program uses a multidisciplinary approach to treatment by including Cleveland Clinic doctors and other healthcare providers who are experts in different areas. They work together to create a complete plan of care to meet your specific needs.

Our Post-COVID Cardiovascular Recovery Program can help you if:

• It's been more than 4 weeks since you had COVID-19, and you have any symptoms of heart disease, such as:
  • Chest pain.
  • Feeling short of breath.
  • Feeling dizzy or light-headed.
  • Passing out or feeling like you might pass out.
  • Heart palpitations (feel like your heart is beating very fast, skipping beats or fluttering).
  • Feeling very tired.
  • Feeling like you can’t do your normal activities.
• You were told during your infection that you have a positive heart inflammatory biomarker (NT-Pro-BNP and/or troponin)
• You have a history of cardiovascular disease and are worried about how COVID-19 has affected your heart.
• You are an athlete and worried about the effects of COVID-19 on your heart and if it will affect your ability to return to play.
• You have cardiovascular symptoms related to post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC)

Patients in our Post-COVID Cardiovascular Recovery Program will receive:

• A complete evaluation to screen for COVID-19 complications that affect your heart and cardiovascular system.
• An initial evaluation to screen for other complications affecting your:
• Lungs and respiratory system.
• Brain and neurological system.

What To Expect

Whether you are coming from around the corner or around the world, you want to know what to expect before, during and after your visit with us. If you have any questions while reviewing this information, please contact us. We are happy to answer any questions you may have.

What should I expect before my appointment?

An important part of the appointment process at Cleveland Clinic is your doctor’s review of your medical records and results of imaging tests you have had, including x-rays, MRIs, CT scans, and more. This review will help your doctor understand your medical history and helps prevent any unnecessary tests. 

We have several ways to get medical information to your doctor.

• Learn more about how to send your medical records and imaging

If your scheduled appointment is less than one week away, please make sure to bring your records to your appointment.

What should I expect on the day of my appointment?

Your appointment may last the entire day, so be prepared. Your appointment will begin by meeting with a nurse or physician assistant (PA) who will collect information about your medical history, symptoms and test results, which will be stored electronically so your doctor can access it during your exam.

A cardiologist from the Post-COVID Cardiovascular Recovery Program will review your records, take a medical history and perform a physical exam. You may need blood and imaging tests, such as an electrocardiogram, echocardiogram, MRI or CT scan. Your provider will use these tests to help diagnose your condition and to create an individualized treatment plan for you.

If you need to meet with other multidisciplinary specialists, we will try to arrange a meeting with them within a day to limit your travel as much as possible to and from Cleveland Clinic. The Post-COVID Cardiovascular Recovery Program cardiologist will talk to you about your diagnosis and plan of care within 1 to 2 days, depending on when your test results are completed.

How long will I need to stay at Cleveland Clinic?

You should plan on spending 1 to 2 days in the Cleveland area. Your stay may be longer if treatment is scheduled at the time of your visit.

• Learn more about hotel and lodging options at Cleveland Clinic

What is the follow-up process like?

Your doctor will talk to you about your plan for follow-up care. Both in-person and virtual visit options are available as appropriate.

Our Team

Our multidisciplinary cardiovascular medical team includes specialists from clinical cardiology, cardiovascular imaging, heart failure, electrophysiology, vascular medicine and sports medicine.

Jerry Estep, MD
Co-Director, Post-COVID Cardiovascular Recovery Center

Mina Chung, MD
Co-Director, Post-COVID Cardiovascular Recovery Center

Kenneth McCurry, MD
Surgical Director, Post-COVID Cardiovascular Recovery Center

Clinical Cardiology

• Michael Emery, MD – Sports Cardiology
• Tamanna Singh, MD – Sports Cardiology

Cardiovascular Imaging

• Deborah Kwon, MD

Heart Failure

• Jerry Estep, MD
• Ran Lee, MD
• Andres Carmona Rubio, MD

Electrophysiology

• Mina Chung, MD

Vascular Medicine

• Scott Cameron, MD, PhD
• Deborah Hornacek, MD
• Michael Tran, DO

Cardiovascular Surgery

• Kenneth McCurry, MD

Cardiovascular Medicine Quality

• Leslie Cho, MD

Other COVID-19 Specialists at Cleveland Clinic

A variety of Cleveland Clinic specialists are available to provide evaluation and treatment for complications following COVID-19. These include experts in infectious disease, pulmonary medicine, neurology, psychology, nutrition therapy and family medicine.

Cleveland Clinic reCOVer Clinic: A multidisciplinary approach to COVID-19 care and recovery

William Lago, MD
Medical Director, Cleveland Clinic reCOVer Clinic

Infectious Disease

• Kristin Englund, MD

Community Care/Family Medicine

• Chris Babiuch, MD
• William Lago, MD

Cardiology

• Mina Chung, MD
• Tamanna Singh, MD
• Jerry Estep, MD

Pulmonary

• Michelle Biehl, MD
• Samar Farha, MD
• Adriano Tonelli, MD

Neurology

• Lara Jehi, MD

Headache

• Heather Froimson, CNP

Geriatrics

• Ardeshir Hashmi, MD

Psychiatry

• Leo Pozuelo, MD
• Dawn Potter, PsyD

Neuropsych

• Robyn Busch, PhD
• Darlene Floden, PhD

Functional Medicine

• Elizabeth Bradley, MD

PT/OT/Speech

• Christine Schulte, PT
• Mary Stilphen, PT

Integrative Medicine

• YuFang Lin, MD

Vascular Medicine

• Deborah Hornacek, MD

ENT

• Paul Bryson, MD

Sleep Medicine

• Nancy Foldvary-Schaefer, DO, MS

Rheumatology

• Cassandra Calabrese, DO
• Leonard Calabrese, DO

Appointments & Location

To make an appointment with the Post-COVID Cardiovascular Recovery Center, please call 216.444.6697 or toll-free at 800.223.2273, ext. 46697

• Request an appointment online

Traveling to Cleveland Clinic

To help make your visit to Cleveland Clinic as easy as possible, please review our travel guide:

• Information on traveling to the Miller Family Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute

What if I am worried about safely traveling to Cleveland Clinic because of COVID-19?

Many patients have concerns about coronavirus and seeking medical care. At Cleveland Clinic, the health and safety of our patients is our top priority. Learn more about our increased safety protocols and what you can expect when you visit Cleveland Clinic.

Still have questions?

If you need more information, send us a message, chat with a heart nurse or call our Resource Information Center at 216.445.9288 or toll-free at 866.289.6911. We would be happy to help you.

Location

The Post-COVID Cardiovascular Recovery Center is located at Cleveland Clinic's main campus:

J Building - Sydell & Arnold Miller Family Pavilion
9500 Euclid Ave
Cleveland, OH 44195

Resources

Health Essentials

Find helpful posts from Cleveland Clinic’s Health Essentials site, featuring the latest health and wellness news:

• COVID-19 Can Also Damage Your Heart (Not Just Your Lungs)

Podcasts

Listen to episodes of Cleveland Clinic's podcast Love Your Heart, to learn more about COVID-19 and how it affects your heart:

• Heart Failure and COVID-19 featuring Jerry Estep, MD, April 28, 2020
• COVID-19 and Your Heart, featuring Lars Svensson, MD, PhD, Samir Kapadia, MD and A. Marc Gillinov, MD, March 31, 2020

News

Cleveland Clinic physicians have been at the forefront of research and care for patients with COVID-19. See how:

• The Washington Post – Many health experts worry coronavirus could cause lasting heart complications for athletes. Dr. Michael Emery comments. Read more
• WJW-TV 8 – Dr. Marc Gillinov talks about how the coronavirus pandemic impacts the heart. Read more
• NBC News – Cases of broken heart syndrome have ticked upward since the pandemic began, study finds Read more
• USA Today – New evidence suggests the coronavirus has lasting impacts on the heart. Dr. Paul Cremer comments. Read more
• Health.com and WJW-TV 8 – Dr. Daniel Cantillon comments on new research linking COVID-19 and myocarditis. Read more or Watch the story
• STAT News – The world wants answers on Gilead’s Covid-19 drug. Experts worry next studies may increase uncertainty. Dr. Steven Nissen comments on clinical trial results for Remdesivir to treat COVID-19. Read more
• The Washington Post – Why older and chronically ill Americans are at greatest risk from coronavirus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new coronavirus guidelines saying those suffering from serious chronic medical conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes and lung disease, are at greater risk. Dr. Steven Nissen comments. Read more

Publications

• Mavrilimumab in patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia and systemic hyperinflammation (MASH-COVID): an investigator initiated, multicentre, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Cremer PC, Abbate A, Hudock K, McWilliams C, Mehta J, Chang SY, Sheng CC, Van Tassell B, Bonaventura A, Vecchié A, Carey B, Wang Q, Wolski KE, Rajendram P, Duggal A, Wang TS, Paolini JF, Trapnell BC; MASH-COVID study group. Lancet Rheumatol. 2021 Mar 17. doi: 10.1016/S2665-9913(21)00070-9. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33754144; PMCID: PMC7969143.
• Heart Failure and COVID-19. Bader F, Manla Y, Atallah B, Starling RC.Heart Fail Rev. 2021 Jan;26(1):1-10. doi: 10.1007/s10741-020-10008-2.PMID: 32720082.
• Guidance for cardiac electrophysiology during the COVID-19 pandemic from the Heart Rhythm Society COVID-19 Task Force; Electrophysiology Section of the American College of Cardiology; and the Electrocardiography and Arrhythmias Committee of the Council on Clinical Cardiology, American Heart Association. Lakkireddy DR, Chung MK, Gopinathannair R, Patton KK, Gluckman TJ, Turagam M, Cheung JW, Patel P, Sotomonte J, Lampert R, Han JK, Rajagopalan B, Eckhardt L, Joglar J, Sandau KE, Olshansky B, Wan E, Noseworthy PA, Leal M, Kaufman E, Gutierrez A, Marine JE, Wang PJ, Russo AM.Heart Rhythm. 2020 Sep;17(9):e233-e241. doi: 10.1016/j.hrthm.2020.03.028. Epub 2020 Apr 1.PMID: 32247013.
• Targeting GM-CSF in COVID-19 Pneumonia: Rationale and Strategies. Bonaventura A, Vecchié A, Wang TS, Lee E, Cremer PC, Carey B, Rajendram P, Hudock KM, Korbee L, Van Tassell BW, Dagna L, Abbate A.Front Immunol. 2020 Jul 3;11:1625. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.01625. eCollection 2020.PMID: 32719685.
• Anti-inflammatory therapies for pericardial diseases in the COVID-19 pandemic: safety and potentiality. Imazio M, Brucato A, Lazaros G, Andreis A, Scarsi M, Klein A, De Ferrari GM, Adler Y.J Cardiovasc Med (Hagerstown). 2020 Sep;21(9):625-629. doi: 10.2459/JCM.0000000000001059.PMID: 32658005.
• New insights into genetic susceptibility of COVID-19: an ACE2 and TMPRSS2 polymorphism analysis. Hou Y, Zhao J, Martin W, Kallianpur A, Chung MK, Jehi L, Sharifi N, Erzurum S, Eng C, Cheng F.BMC Med. 2020 Jul 15;18(1):216. doi: 10.1186/s12916-020-01673-z.PMID: 32664879.
• Coronavirus Disease 2019 and the Athletic Heart: Emerging Perspectives on Pathology, Risks, and Return to Play. Kim JH, Levine BD, Phelan D, Emery MS, Martinez MW, Chung EH, Thompson PD, Baggish AL.JAMA Cardiol. 2020 Oct 26. doi: 10.1001/jamacardio.2020.5890. Online ahead of print. PMID: 33104154.
• Virtual Visits for Care of Patients with Heart Failure in the Era of COVID-19: A Statement from the Heart Failure Society of America. Gorodeski EZ, Goyal P, Cox ZL, Thibodeau JT, Reay RE, Rasmusson K, Rogers JG, Starling RC.J Card Fail. 2020 Jun;26(6):448-456. doi: 10.1016/j.cardfail.2020.04.008. Epub 2020 Apr 18.PMID: 32315732
• SARS-CoV-2 and ACE2: The biology and clinical data settling the ARB and ACEI controversy. Chung MK, Karnik S, Saef J, Bergmann C, Barnard J, Lederman MM, Tilton J, Cheng F, Harding CV, Young JB, Mehta N, Cameron SJ, McCrae KR, Schmaier AH, Smith JD, Kalra A, Gebreselassie SK, Thomas G, Hawkins ES, Svensson LG.EBioMedicine. 2020 Aug;58:102907. doi: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2020.102907. Epub 2020 Aug 6.PMID: 32771682
• Incidence of Stress Cardiomyopathy During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic. Jabri A, Kalra A, Kumar A, Alameh A, Adroja S, Bashir H, Nowacki AS, Shah R, Khubber S, Kanaa'N A, Hedrick DP, Sleik KM, Mehta N, Chung MK, Khot UN, Kapadia SR, Puri R, Reed GW.JAMA Netw Open. 2020 Jul 1;3(7):e2014780. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.14780.PMID: 32644140.
• Meta-analysis Comparing Outcomes in Patients With and Without Cardiac Injury and Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID 19). Bansal A, Kumar A, Patel D, Puri R, Kalra A, Kapadia SR, Reed GW.Am J Cardiol. 2020 Nov 18:S0002-9149(20)31234-0. doi: 10.1016/j.amjcard.2020.11.009. Online ahead of print.PMID: 33217345.
• Managing Severe Aortic Stenosis in the COVID-19 Era. Tanguturi VK, Lindman BR, Pibarot P, Passeri JJ, Kapadia S, Mack MJ, Inglessis I, Langer NB, Sundt TM, Hung J, Elmariah S.JACC Cardiovasc Interv. 2020 Aug 24;13(16):1937-1944. doi: 10.1016/j.jcin.2020.05.045. Epub 2020 Jun 1.PMID: 32484159.
• Pandemic Superimposed on Epidemic: Covid-19 Disparities in Black Americans. Kirksey L, Tucker DL, Taylor E Jr, White Solaru KT, Modlin CS Jr.J Natl Med Assoc. 2020 Aug 1:S0027-9684(20)30141-3. doi: 10.1016/j.jnma.2020.07.003. Online ahead of print.PMID: 32747313.
• Association of Use of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors and Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers With Testing Positive for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Mehta N, Kalra A, Nowacki AS, Anjewierden S, Han Z, Bhat P, Carmona-Rubio AE, Jacob M, Procop GW, Harrington S, Milinovich A, Svensson LG, Jehi L, Young JB, Chung MK.JAMA Cardiol. 2020 Sep 1;5(9):1020-1026. doi: 10.1001/jamacardio.2020.1855.PMID: 32936273.
• Telemedicine in Heart Failure during COVID-19: Like it, Love It or Lose It? Albert NM, Prasun MA. Heart Lung. 2020 Nov-Dec;49(6):A11-A12. doi: 10.1016/j.hrtlng.2020.10.014.PMID: 33190750.