Healthcare workers (HCWs) represent a population with a significant burden of paucisymptomatic COVID-19, as the general population. We evaluated autonomic nervous system activity by means of heart rate variability (HRV) in HCWs during health surveillance visits. Short-term electrocardiogram (ECG) recordings were obtained 30 days (IQR 5.25-55.75) after a negative naso-pharyngeal swab for SARS-CoV-2 in 44 cases and compared with ECGs of 44 controls with similar age and sex distribution. Time and frequency domain HRV were evaluated. HCWs who used drugs, had comorbidities that affected HRV, or were hospitalized with severe COVID-19 were excluded. Frequency domain HRV analysis showed a significantly higher low/high-frequency power ratio (LF/HF) in the case study compared with controls (t = 2.84, p = 0.006). In time domain HRV analysis, mean standard deviation of normal-to-normal intervals (SDNN) and root mean square of successive RR interval differences (RMSSD) were significantly lower for cases compared with controls (t = -2.64, p = 0.01 and t = -3.27, p = 0.002, respectively). In the post-acute phase of infection, SARS-CoV-2 produces an autonomic imbalance mirrored by a reduction in HRV. These results are consistent with epidemiological data that suggest a higher risk of acute cardiovascular complications in the first 30 days after COVID-19 infection.
Keywords: HCWs; HRV; SARS-CoV-2; TRPV-1; autonomic nervous system; cardiac autonomic dysfunction; general population; health surveillance visit; increase of sympathetic activity; paucisymptomatic COVID-19.