When the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, MLS and WNBA all come together for a medical collaboration and a joint statement, it must be something important.  The study is the "Prevalence of Inflammatory Heart Disease Among Professional Athletes With Prior COVID-19 Infection Who Received Systematic Return-to-Play Cardiac Screening" study.

The main findings were:

In this cross-sectional study of RTP cardiac testing performed on 789 professional athletes with COVID-19 infection, imaging evidence of inflammatory heart disease that resulted in restriction from play was identified in 5 athletes (0.6%). No adverse cardiac events occurred in the athletes who underwent cardiac screening and resumed professional sport participation.

Which means:

Using expert consensus RTP screening recommendations for athletes testing positive for COVID-19, few cases of inflammatory heart disease were detected and safe return to professional sport activity has thus far been achieved.

You can read the entire study published by JAMA Cariology here.  The statement released by the leagues talked more about COVID-19 and how it affected the athletes.

As part of that ongoing collaboration, each league implemented a similar cardiac screening program for athletes with prior COVID-19 infection. The screening programs, which are based on American College of Cardiology recommendations, are used to detect serious conditions resulting from the virus and help promote an athlete's safe return to play after COVID-19 infection.

 

The study also found no adverse cardiac events occurring in the athletes who underwent cardiac screening and subsequently resumed professional sport participation. The study additionally reflects the care provided by club medical and athletic training staffs who contributed to the study.

KEEP READING: See how sports around the world have been impacted by the coronavirus

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