Woman’s smart watch records extreme heart rate levels weeks after Covid infection

While most Covid patients are back to normal within a week or two, Charlotte Mortlock’s Garmin has served as a daily reminder her body is far from recovered.

Attention has been drawn to a lesser-known after-effect of coronavirus after a woman’s smart watch picked up unusual activity in her heart.

Former journalist Charlotte Mortlock contracted Covid-19 earlier this month but has far from made a full recovery, continuing to battle through lingering fatigue and anxiety.

In a discovery that has left her particularly disturbed however, data from her Garmin watch revealed her heart rate had remained consistently high over several days.

“Since Covid 3.5 weeks ago, my heart rate is high all the time,” the Canberra-based government adviser revealed in a tweet on Thursday.

Charlotte Mortlock's heart rate has been consistently high since she contracted Covid. Picture: Instagram/larlmortlock

Results from her watch – which uses green light to measure heart rate through the wrist – showed she had essentially no moments of rest throughout the course of the day.

Ms Mortlock said she had made multiple lifestyle changes in the hope of returning her heart rate to normal, but had yet to find success.

“I am reading. I am meditating. I am exercising. I am sleeping,” she wrote.

“I even made the ghastly choice to quit coffee! How long till this goes away?!”.

Responding to someone asking if she otherwise felt healthy, she said, “Nah, I still feel wired”.

According to other replies to her post, she was not alone in her struggle.

“I’ve had the same Charlotte. I also had Covid about four weeks ago and have had a high heart rate and palpitations ever since. Doc said it should go in time but running more tests to check and be safe,” one person responded.

Since covid 3.5 weeks ago, my heart rate is high all.the.time. My Garmin tells me every day that I’ve had “almost no restful moments”. I am reading. I am meditating. I am exercising. I am sleeping. I even made the ghastly choice to quit coffee! How long till this goes away?! pic.twitter.com/msS0YZ478L

— Charlotte Mortlock (@CMMortlock) January 26, 2022

“I feel the same Charlotte … for the last month,” another wrote.

“Strange. Hopefully there will be some research into this for everyone’s benefit. I wish you well with your recovery,” someone else said.

While less documented than more common after-effects of the infection, ongoing increased heart rate and heart palpitations have been reported in several cases of long Covid.

The British Heart Foundation said many had reported a faster heart beat after their initial infection had resolved, which it said could be a result of an immune response to the virus affecting the autonomic nervous system, rather than an issue with the heart muscle itself.

Ms Mortlock has tried just about everything to get her heart rate back to normal. Picture: Instagram/larlmortlock

The autonomic nervous system regulates bodily processes like blood pressure, heart rate and breathing rate, which are all typically interrupted during a Covid infection.

General advice stipulates people should speak to their doctor if they have experienced a rapid heartbeat or palpitations after contracting Covid.