Acute myocarditis during the COVID-19 pandemic: A single center experience

OBJECTIVE: We sought to compare the occurrence and characteristics of patients with acute myocarditis admitted during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic to those admitted prior. DESIGN: We performed a retrospective chart review of patients with the primary discharge diagnosis of acute myocarditis from September 1st 2017 through August 31st 2020. RESULTS: We identified 67 patients, 45 (67%) admitted pre-pandemic, and 22 (33%) during the pandemic. Rate of admissions for acute myocarditis was 1.5/month [95% CI 1.04–1.95] pre-pandemic, and 3.7/month [95% CI 2.36–4.97] (p < 0.001) during the first 6 months of the pandemic. Of the 22 patients admitted during the pandemic, 10 (45%) tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Patients who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 were older and had lower peak troponin levels. CONCLUSIONS: During the pandemic, less than half of the patients admitted with acute myocarditis tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Patients who tested positive were older and had lower peak troponin levels.