COVID-19 pandemic: the potential effects of quarantine-induced stress on
arrhythmias
Abstract
Since the WHO defined the diffusion of novel coronavirus, Severe Acute
Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) as pandemic, the global
effort has been on finding a cure and preventing transmission. As a
consequence, people are going through many psychological problems in
adjusting to the current lifestyles and fear of the disease. The link
between the psychological effects of quarantine and arrhythmias has been
poorly explored. However it is known that sudden catastrophic events
i.e. earthquake are associated with an increase in sudden cardiac
deaths. Acute stress and anxiety could act as a trigger for ventricular
arrhythmias, which are found to have increased significantly after an
earthquake. Quarantine induced a chronic stress enforced by alarming
news reports in the media. Closure of businesses increased the stress
due the expected crisis after the lockdown. Stress activates both the
sympathetic nervous system and the axis of the
renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, leading to an increased risk of
cardiac events. The aim of the present editorial is to analyze the
potential impact of quarantine –induced stress on the development of
arrhythmias.