Cor Vasa 2026, 68(5):555-561 | DOI: 10.33678/cor.2026.072

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on In-hospital and Long-term Outcomes of ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction

Azza Abdel Moniem Farrag^a, Ahmed Adel Mohamed Elamragy^a, Sameh Mohamed Helmy Elkaffas^a, Dalia Rifaat Elremisy^a, Wafaa Hamed Omar Khalifa^b

^a Cardiology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt

^b Cardiology Department, Student´s Hospital, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted cardiovascular outcomes worldwide. This study evaluated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on in-hospital and long-term (1-year) outcomes in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI).

Methods: This retrospective observational study included 317 STEMI patients treated with PPCI between March 1, 2019, and February 28, 2022. Patients were categorized into group A (pre-pandemic, n = 107), group B1 (during pandemic, non-COVID-19, n = 169), and group B2 (during pandemic, confirmed COVID-19, n = 41). Clinical characteristics, in-hospital post-PCI complications, hospital stay duration, and 1-year follow -up outcomes (readmission for chest pain and mortality) were analyzed.

Results: Heart failure was the most common in-hospital post-PCI complication, occurring significantly more in COVID-19 patients (group B2) compared to pre-pandemic patients (48.8% vs. 24.3%, p = 0.004). Group B2 patients also experienced higher rates of cardiogenic shock (29.3% vs. 6.5%, p <0.001), contrast-induced nephropathy (22.0% vs. 8.4%, p = 0.024), and significantly longer hospital stays (9.27 ± 5.30 vs. 4.20 ± 3.26 days, p <0.001). Conversely, non-COVID-19 patients during the pandemic had shorter hospital stays (3.14 ± 2.40 days, p = 0.004). At the 1-year follow-up, hospital readmission for chest pain was more frequent before the pandemic, whereas 1-year mortality rates remained comparable across all groups.

Conclusion: STEMI patients with concomitant COVID-19 infection undergoing PPCI face higher risks of in -hospital post-PCI complications and prolonged hospitalization, though 1-year mortality rates remain comparable to pre-pandemic.

Keywords: Acute coronary syndrome, COVID-19, ST-elevation myocardial infarction

Received: December 16, 2025; Revised: August 3, 2026; Accepted: August 8, 2026; Prepublished online: October 9, 2026; Published: October 20, 2026  Show citation