ST-elevation myocardial infarction in the COVID-19 era

The worldwide pandemic caused by the novel acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) has resulted in a new and lethal disease termed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The risk of adverse outcomes in patients with COVID-19 is strongly associated with advanced age, comorbidities, and pre-existing cardiovascular risk factors. Moreover, the patient experienced a delay in clinical presentation reducing numbers of daily calls for primary PCI. We aimed at formally appraise the daily incidence and corresponding symptom-to-reperfusion time in patients with AMI at our institution between March 1 and March 19, 2020, comparing the findings with the same period in 2019. Our data showed that the COVID-19 scare is associated with fewer STEMIs and NSTEMIs, as well as calls to the STEMI networks and increase in symptom-to-balloon times.