Doctors say COVID-19 could impact heart health, affect athletes

September 19, 2020 steven

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – The concerns regarding playing sports during the COVID-19 pandemic go beyond wanting to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Doctors with UNMC said another concern is inflammation of the heart that could be life threatening.

“What we’re trying to avoid is the running touchdown where some collapses five yards into the end zone, that’s the thing we worry about, it’s a tragedy,” Dr. Daniel Anderson, UNMC cardiologist said.

Viruses are known to cause myocarditis, or inflammation of cardiac tissue. But because COVID-19 is so new, it’s unknown how often it occurs in COVID-19 patients.

“What we do know is if you’ve had the infection is there an increased risk I’d say yes there is,” Anderson said.

UNMC Sports Medicine Doctor, Ross Mathiasen, said this should be a worry for athletes, but it doesn’t mean they can’t play.

“I think it’s reasonable to discuss this with your healthcare provider and make sure the patient knows the things to watch out for,” Mathiason said.

Dr. Mathiason said if an athlete is diagnosed with COVID-19, they should take it easy during recovery, and once recovered ramp up activity slowly. Shortness of breath or chest pains are signs something serious could be going on, and a doctor’s help is needed.

Ideally, an athlete would wait 90 days before engaging in activity again after a diagnosis.

“We know that’s a difficult window, someone would say that’s almost the entire football season,” Dr. Anderson said.

This is on the radar of the Big Ten. They will be requiring athletes who test positive for COVID-19 to go through several tests, including an MRI, which is used to check for myocarditis.

The earliest a Big Ten athlete could return to play is 21 days after diagnosis.

Anderson said this is a concern for high school athletes too. but its a risk families will have to weigh.

“Take for example, me in high school.” Dr. Anderson said. “If you’re in high school and you’re not on the athletic track and I like to golf but I play football too, and if I didn’t play football this year the impact would be the lack of building that team relationship, then maybe you decide that’s not worth the risk of uncertainty. But if you’re a Heisman trophy candidate football play just saying I’m not going to do sports this year is not as practical.”

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