A recent study has shown that people may develop lingering heart problems after recovery from the coronavirus, which could be especially troubling for athletes.
The study looked at 100 people who had been diagnosed with COVID-19 and revealed that 80 per cent of the group had developed a serious heart problem that lingered for months post-recovery, forcing experts to warn against any exercise or strenuous activity for patients recovering from the coronavirus.
The study, published in a July paper in JAMA Cardiology, showed that there was also a 60 per cent incidence of myocarditis.
The virus causes an inflammation of the heart muscle, and the main concern is that as patients are recovering from COVID-19, participation in strenuous physical activity could lead to cardiac events, namely arrhythmias or abnormal electrical events, which could lead to sudden death.
This has been a major concern in the US, as the high school football season gears up, and experts are urging extra attention should be given to players who have had the coronavirus.
While recovery from myocarditis is likely, there are still some uncertainties surrounding the longer-term after-effects of COVID-19.
While our lungs appear to be the most vulnerable organ during the initial acute stages of infection, doctors and researchers have noted that patients with cardiovascular disease are among the most likely to get severely ill or die.
As evidence is growing that the virus may cause cardiac complications fairly frequently in patients who are very sick, even without a previous history of heart problems, athletes who have had the virus are being urged to get properly screen for heart abnormalities before engaging in exercise and sports.
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