SARS-CoV-2 virus targets and damages the muscle cells of the heart in the setting of COVID-19.
“SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, exploits the ACE2 receptor to gain entry into cells. A specific region of the virus called a spike protein binds to a cell's ACE2 receptor, and the virus injects its genetic material – RNA – into the cytosol.”