The number of athletes suffering from myocarditis — inflammation of the heart muscle — after COVID-19 infection is less common than previously thought, the American College of Cardiology said in new guidance released Tuesday.
The backdrop: Professional and collegiate sports officials have paused games and leagues due to fears athletes would suffer from myocarditis after a COVID-19 infection, ABC News reports.
Yes, but: The ACC said in its guidance — which was published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology — that the number of athletes with myocarditis is lower than originally thought.
What’s next: The ACC said leagues and athletic organizations need to develop a plan to help athletes return to competitions after infection.
What they’re saying: “For athletes recovering from COVID-19 with ongoing cardiopulmonary symptoms ... further evaluation should be performed before resuming exercise,” the ACC experts said, according to ABC News. “For all others who are asymptomatic or with symptoms less suggestive of a cardiopulmonary etiology ... additional cardiac testing is not recommended.”
Worth noting: There have also been concerns about younger men suffering from myocarditis after getting the COVID-19 vaccine, too, as I reported for the Deseret News.
- But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said younger males should wait eight weeks between their first and second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to lower the risk.