Long COVID/PAIS and the Heart

Dr Puntmann has internationally recognised expertise in the cardiovascular assessment of COVID-19, Long COVID, and post-infectious syndromes. She is widely known for her contributions to defining and advancing the understanding of cardiac involvement following viral infections, with a particular focus on objective, imaging-based phenotyping and long-term cardiovascular outcomes.

Her work has been central to demonstrating that persistent cardiovascular symptoms after COVID-19 are frequently associated with measurable myocardial inflammation, diffuse fibrosis, microvascular and endothelial dysfunction, and autonomic dysregulation, even when conventional tests appear normal. Through seminal peer-reviewed publications, Dr Puntmann has helped shift clinical thinking away from symptom-based or purely time-based definitions towards mechanism-driven, organ-specific assessment.

Dr Puntmann has authored and contributed to landmark scientific papers that established cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) as a key tool in identifying subclinical myocardial involvement in post-COVID and post-infectious disease. Her research has influenced international guidelines, informed large cohort studies, and shaped national research strategies addressing post-infectious syndromes.

She plays a leading role in national and interdisciplinary initiatives focused on post-acute infection syndromes, contributing cardiovascular expertise to collaborative frameworks that integrate immunology, neurology, metabolism, and autonomic function. Her work emphasises that post-infectious syndromes are multisystem conditions, with the heart often acting as a critical modulator of symptoms such as fatigue, exercise intolerance, dysautonomia, and post-exertional malaise.

In clinical practice, Dr Puntmann applies this research-driven insight through advanced cardiovascular imaging and functional assessment, enabling accurate diagnosis, risk stratification, and longitudinal monitoring. Her approach supports safe, individualised management and avoids both under-recognition and inappropriate reassurance.

Dr Puntmann’s work bridges science and care — translating rigorous cardiovascular research into meaningful, patient-centred assessment for those affected by Long COVID and related post-infectious conditions.