Mysterious Heart Damage, Not Just Lung Troubles, Befalling COVID-19 Patients April 6, 2020 As more data comes in from China and Italy, as well as Washington state and New York, more cardiac experts are coming to believe the COVID-19 virus can infect the heart muscle. An initial study found cardiac damage in as many as 1 in 5 patients, leading to heart failure and death even among those who show no signs of respiratory distress. https://khn.org/news/mysterious-heart-damage-not-just-lung-troubles-befalling-covid-19-patients/