When the patients stayed home: the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on acute cardiac admissions and cardiac mortality in Malta

AIM: This study aimed to investigate the impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection on all types of acute cardiac admissions (ACAs) and cardiac mortality in Malta. METHODS: Number, characteristics and delay to presentation of ACAs to our institution during the study period (28 February–30 April 2020) were compared with the corresponding 2019 period. Non-parametric correlation analyses between daily SARS-CoV-2 cases in Malta, Italy and the UK and daily ACAs were performed. Differences in cardiac death distribution (community vs. in-hospital) during the two periods were analysed. RESULTS: There was a significant decline in daily ACAs in 2020 (median 3 [IQR 3]) vs. 2019 (median 5 [IQR 4]), p < 0.001. Patient characteristics were comparable. Delay to presentation for 2020 ACAs was significantly higher across all categories (ST-elevation myocardial infarction [STEMI] median: 2019 [1 h, IQR 1] vs. 2020 [4 h, IQR 43.8], p = 0.009; non-ST-elevation-acute coronary syndrome [NSTE-ACS] median: 2019 [4 h, IQR 71] vs. 2020 [48 h, IQR 199], p = 0.001; non-ACS median: 2019 [24 h, IQR 95] vs. 2020 [84 h, IQR 499.8], p < 0.001). There was a significant negative correlation between ACAs and daily Malta SARS-CoV-2 infection cases (r(s) = −0.298, p = 0.018) but not with cases in Italy and the UK when controlling for Malta cases. Significantly more cardiac deaths occurred in the community in 2020 (107, 61.8%) compared to 2019 (87, 46.8%) (p = 0.004). CONCLUSION: Fear of SARS-CoV-2 infection led to a significant avoidance of acute cardiac care with an accompanying rise in community cardiac deaths, suggesting a need for better public education on recognising and addressing cardiovascular symptoms.