COVID-19, Cardiological Issues & Health Education

Polymorbidity is a major concern in medicine and public health, and recent developments have given evidence of alarming interactions between COVID-19 and cardiovascular diseases. For decades cardiology has been promoting preventative measures and highlighted the importance of risk factors, healthy life styles, physical exercise and stress-management. By contrast, COVID-19 measures have been dominated by social isolation, quarantine and intensive care and thus given rise to the question how to strengthen the immune system of the general population. Moreover, pathological sequelae of COVID-19 measures and political conflicts became a heterogeneously discussed topic. In this context, Beijing Normal University (BNU) is about to issue a comprehensive health education programme that includes cardiovascular and immunological perspectives. The programme is based on translational studies replacing ‘bedside’ with ‘school bank’. It involves educational sciences, evidence based medicine, differential and clinical psychology, cultural anthropology and public health. The present article outlines the programme’s framework, which is based on systemic meta-syntheses of preventative medicine and particularly focuses on educational and sustainable transfer that addresses the entire younger generation. Similar to rehabilitation, long-term adherence is a main issue, which involves individual preference of health-promoting measures, and cardiovascular fitness, improvement of the immune system, avoidance of obesity and stress, body awareness and knowledge of one’s own risk profile are cornerstones. Educational and preventive interventions comprise a broad spectrum of models such as dance therapy, creative martial arts or vocal therapies. Implementation within the Chinese school and public health system is targeted.