An expert panel formed by the Karnataka government has ruled out any connection between premature cardiovascular disease and a previous history of Covid-19 infection or vaccination. Instead, the team emphasized that Covid-19 vaccines may offer long-term protection against heart-related complications.
The committee—headed by Dr. C N Manjunath, Director of the Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research—was assigned to probe a recent spike in heart attack-related deaths in Hassan district, where over 20 fatalities had been reported.
In a report submitted to the government on July 2, the panel clarified that there is no scientific evidence linking “long Covid” to the rise in sudden cardiac incidents among younger individuals.
The findings suggest that traditional risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, and abnormal cholesterol levels are the most likely causes behind the increase in sudden cardiovascular episodes.
An observational study carried out at Jayadeva Hospital also supported this view, revealing no connection between premature heart disease and previous Covid infection or vaccination.
The report added that global research echoes these findings, with no clear causal link between Covid vaccines and heart-related fatalities. In fact, several studies have shown that vaccination may reduce the likelihood of cardiac events over time.
The expert panel’s conclusions are expected to bring clarity to the ongoing public discourse around sudden deaths post-Covid, while also reinforcing the importance of managing known cardiac risk factors.