Pulmonary artery hypertension patients and the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19): are they protected from severe disease?

Anggoro Budi Hartopo (Department of Cardiology and Vascular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Public Health and Nursing, Universitas Gadjah Mada/Dr. Sardjito General Hospital, Yogyakarta, Working Group on Pulmonary Hypertension, Indonesian Heart Association)
Dyah Wulan Anggrahini (Department of Cardiology and Vascular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Public Health and Nursing, Universitas Gadjah Mada/Dr. Sardjito General Hospital, Yogyakarta, Working Group on Pulmonary Hypertension, Indonesian Heart Association)
Bambang Budi Siswanto (Department of Cardiology and Vascular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia/National Cardiovascular Center Harapan Kita, Jakarta, Working Group on Pulmonary Hypertension, Indonesian Heart Association)
Lucia Kris Dinarti (Department of Cardiology and Vascular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Public Health and Nursing, Universitas Gadjah Mada/Dr. Sardjito General Hospital, Yogyakarta, Working Group on Pulmonary Hypertension, Indonesian Heart Association)

Journal of the Medical Sciences (Berkala Ilmu Kedokteran)
Vol 52, No 3 (2020): Special Issue: COVID-19

The coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) is a current pandemic of viral infection which mainly involves respiratory system and may progress into severe multiple organ dysfunction and mortality. Pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH) is a disease marked by increased mean pulmonary artery pressure and pulmonary vascular resistance due to pulmonary panvascular remodeling. Although rare, the prevalence of PAH is currently escalating in Indonesia due to increased diagnostic capacity and referral, treatment availability and improved survival. Despite chronic cardiac and pulmonary diseases are at increased risk to develop severe COVID-19, patients with PAH are considered to be not in higher risk to develop severe COVID-19. However, whether this population is protected from severe COVID-19 is unclear. There are protective and offensive factors need to be considered in PAH patients in respect to COVID-19.