On Mar. 20, 2024, a National Institutes of Health-supported study reported that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, can damage the heart even without directly infecting the heart tissue.

The research, published in the journal Circulation, specifically looked at damage to the hearts of people with SARS-CoV2-associated acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), a serious lung condition that can be fatal. But researchers said the findings could have relevance to organs beyond the heart and also to viruses other than SARS-CoV-2.