6/21/22: I'll Continue to Be Careful About Covid

It occured to me to wonder if having a prolonged QT interval might be a risk factor for serious illness if infected with covid.

I found a few articles about covid patients developing QT prolongation when treated with certain medications. This one says "QTc prolongation occurs in COVID-19 illness and is associated with poor outcome."

But it's more difficult finding information on how pre-existing QT prolongation might affect a covid prognosis. I found only one article about one patient who had existing QT prolongation, and it says "COVID-19 illness itself can potentially lead to further prolongation of QT interval and unmask fatal ventricular arrhythmias in patients who have a prolonged QT and low repolarization reserve at baseline." But I honestly don't think much can be made from one patient who is older and also had multiple medical conditions.

I guess it doesn't really matter what QT prolongation means in terms of covid because it wouldn't affect the way I take covid precautions. I am already super careful because according to the CDC, I have anywhere from 1 to 3 medical conditions putting me at high risk, not even including the borderline QT prolongation:

1. About having a history of cancer, the CDC says (emphasis mine): "[H]aving a history of cancer may increase your risk."
   
   
2. About non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, the CDC says: "Having chronic liver disease can make you more likely to get very sick from COVID-19."
   
   
3. About my heart function which may or may not still be reduced compared to my pre-Herceptin baseline, the CDC says: "Having heart conditions such as heart failure... cardiomyopathies... can make you more likely to get very sick from COVID-19."

Lots of uncertainties in there, but I'm not eager to find out how I do with covid, so I'll keep up preventative measures as long as Community Transmission is not low.