LOS ANGELES, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, can directly infect the arteries of the heart and cause the fatty plaque inside arteries to become highly inflamed, increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke, according to a new study published on Thursday.
The study, funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), found that SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA is detectable and replicates in coronary lesions taken at autopsy from severe COVID-19 cases.
