Clinical observations of viral myocarditis and dilated cardiomyopathy as variants of COVID-19‑associated occupational heart disease in medical workers

The study of various pathological conditions associated with COVID-19 remains an ur gent task. One of the most significant complications of the novel coronavirus infection is damage to the cardiovascular system. According to various authors, acute myocardial injury associated with COVID-19 develops from 12% to 28-30% of cases. The most important distinctive feature of SARS-Cov-2 infection is its ability to induce prolonged and decompensated myocarditis. Medical workers are a group at increased risk of infection with the SARS-CoV-2 when provid ing medical care in modern conditions. The novel coronavirus infection in medical workers can be considered an occupational disease if the infection occurred while they were perform ing their professional duties. The presence of severe complications of the novel coronavirus infection, leading to disabili ty, gives relevance to the analysis of the characteristics of occupational diseases of medical workers in order to improve their diagnosis, prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation. In the Samara Region in 2021-2022, 10 cases of chronic occupational diseases associat ed with the novel coronavirus infection that caused permanent disability were identified in medical workers. Of these, viral myocarditis was diagnosed in four cases, and inflammatory dilated cardiomyopathy – in one case. The article presents 2 clinical observations of the development of myocarditis and inflammato ry dilated cardiomyopathy with congestive heart failure associated with the novel coronavirus infection in medical workers, as well as principles and results of a medical examination con ducted in order to establish a causal relationship between the disease and professional activity. The need for a multidisciplinary approach to the diagnosis of manifestations and treatment of COVID-19 and its complications, with the mandatory participation of a cardiologist, improvement of the assessment of causal relationship between COVID 19 and occupation and admission to work in conditions of high risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection of medical workers is emphasized.