Covid-19: Surge in cardiac cases to South Australia’s 67 hospitals during coronavirus pandemic, data shows

New data has revealed thousands more South Australians have sought hospital treatment for cardiac complaints during the pandemic. Read what the experts say is the cause.

Thousands more South Australians have sought hospital treatment for cardiac complaints during the pandemic, new official data shows.

Latest SA Health figures, released under Freedom of Information laws, show a 35 per cent spike in patients with heart problems visiting hospital emergency departments over the past four years.

The state also recorded an almost 20 per cent surge in hospital admissions for cardiac issues between 2018 and 2021.

The SA Health data suggests another likely record cardiac presentations this year to Adelaide’s seven, and regional SA’s 60, emergency departments.

Professor Nicola Spurrier defended the country’s vaccine program as world class. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Naomi Jellicoe

The state’s top doctor, Nicola Spurrier, said heart inflammation was more commonly linked with Covid-19 infections but can also be a rare complication of coronavirus vaccines.

She said the Therapeutic Goods Administration, the medicine’s regulator and expert Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation advised the protective benefits of Covid-19 vaccines “far outweigh any potential, rare, serious side-effects”.

“People can be confident that vaccines approved for use are safe and effective,” she said.

“For the vast majority of people, recovery is complete.”

Australian Medical Association SA president, Dr Michelle Atchison, said Covid was “toxic” on a patient’s blood system, leaving people suffering cardiac arrests, heart attacks or clots.

“The Covid virus can actually attack the vascular system, blood vessels and the heart as much as it affects the respiratory system,” she said.

AMA SA president Dr Michelle Atkinson said Covid has been “toxic” on blood streams. Picture: Supplied

In 2021, almost 17,900 cardiac patients presented to a hospital ED, according to the FOI data obtained by SA Liberal senator Alex Antic.

This compares to almost 13,250 patients in 2018. The data shows presentations peaked in November 2021 with 6002 patients, including 2172 people aged between 15 and 44.

That same month, 2073 patients, or just over a third of total presentations, were serious enough to need hospital treatment.

This compares with the peak admissions in August 2020, when half of 5376 cardiac patients were admitted to hospital, and 5041 in March 2019 when 54.5 per cent were given specialist care. Death rates were not available.

Latest TGA data shows from 14.3 million booster doses there have been 64 reports of “likely” myocarditis and 113 reports of suspected for the Pfizer vaccine. For Moderna there have been 28 reports of likely myocarditis and 31 reports of suspected. The median age is 34.

Professor Spurrier, SA’s chief public health officer, said Australia’s vaccine safety was “world class”.

Senator Alex Antic has been critical of the jab mandates. Picture: NewsWire / Monique Harmer

“There are a range of potential underlying diagnoses that may cause someone to present to an emergency department with a cardiac complaint,” she said.

“For example, symptoms of chest pain could be due to angina or a heart attack, or inflammation of the heart, such as myocarditis and pericarditis.

“Extensive analytic work would be required to assess the case notes and medical history of each individual to determine the reason and final diagnosis related to each hospital presentation.

“Myocarditis and pericarditis are more commonly associated with the Covid-19 infection itself but can also be a rare complication of the mRNA Covid vaccination.”

Senator Antic said a doubling in presentations of people aged 15 to 44, especially in late 2021, coincided when Covid booster jabs were mandated.

He said anyone speaking out against “incursions on freedoms” were labelled “an anti-vaxxer or a peddler of dangerous misinformation”.