India media reports a growing number of sudden cardiac arrests, including incidence of heart attacks, and the apex research institute seeks to understand why via a study. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has launched an investigation examining cases involving sudden cardiac arrest reports across the world’s second most populous nation and sixth largest economy as measured by gross domestic product. Could these sudden incidences, including deaths, be linked to COVID-19 or the COVID-19 vaccines? ICMR investigators aim to find out with the help of some of the nation’s top cardiologists and other experts from the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). By examining cases, this examination will accumulate data and associated conditions of the deceased in a “verbal autopsy” method of study.
Of course, rampant across social media are explanations for surges of sudden cardiac arrests as a byproduct of mass COVID-19 vaccination, especially with the mRNA vaccines which are known to cause rare side effects such as myocarditis, a cardiovascular-related condition. Other critics of any “anti-vaxx” theories suggest any number of causes are plausible, such as deferred health visits, worsening diets, and stress during the pandemic, or even just other background factors. So, it’s not clear what the cause is of the sudden uptick, and it certainly makes sense for the Indian government to formally investigate. The recent imminent study was reported on by Durgesh Nandan Jah at Times of India.