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University of Nebraska Medical Center

COVID-19 took a toll on heart health and doctors are still grappling with how to help

AP Firefighter and paramedic Mike Camilleri once had no trouble hauling heavy gear up ladders. Now battling long COVID, he gingerly steps onto a treadmill to learn how his heart handles a simple walk.

“This is, like, not a tough-guy test so don’t fake it,” warned Beth Hughes, a physical therapist at Washington University in St. Louis.

Somehow, a mild case of COVID-19 set off a chain reaction that eventually left Camilleri with dangerous blood pressure spikes, a heartbeat that raced with slight exertion, and episodes of intense chest pain. He’s far from alone. How profound a toll COVID-19 has taken on the nation’s heart health is only starting to emerge, years into the pandemic.

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