By Adam Roberts – 3/4/2021
A new study shows just five of 789 professional athletes that came down with COVID-19 were later diagnosed with an inflammatory heart disease.
The research from JAMA Cardiology had doctors affiliated with six U.S. based leagues follow the infected players between May and October of last year. Before returning to play, the athletes went through three non-invasive tests that track heart rhythms where the cases were discovered. Also in the research, the five athletes that were discovered to have the heart disease all had beyond mild cases of COVID-19.
Concern about the heart disease fueled debate on whether to play sports during the pandemic. One of the diseases discovered, myocarditis, can be deadly if left undiagnosed and untreated.