Having an Unhealthy Heart Could Raise Risk of COVID-19 by Angela Mohan on March 11, 2021 at 9:26 AM Unhealthy heart structures and poorer functioning can raise the risk of being diagnosed with COVID-19 infection, according to research by Queen Mary University of London, in collaboration with the Medical Research Council Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit. The researchers made use of the comprehensive and internationally unique UK Biobank database, which includes health and genetic information from over half a million participants from across the UK, including detailed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of their hearts as well as linkages to COVID-19 test results from Public Health England.