Top 10 athletes with COVID had myocarditis symptoms in a third

According to the director of sports medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, cases of myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle, appear to be common among the big ten athletes, affecting about one-third of all athletes who test positive for coronavirus.

Wayne Sebastianelli, who is also a physician for the Pennsylvania football team, said on Monday during a State College school district board meeting that heart scans top 10 athletes infected with COVID-19 showed that “30 to about 35 percent of the heart muscles” indicated symptoms of myocarditis.

“And we really just don’t know what to do about it right now,” he said. “The infection is still at a very early stage. Some of them led to the decision of Pac-12 and the Big Ten to suspend what is happening. “

Myocarditis, which can be fatal, was the driving force behind the Big Ten’s decision to postpone the upcoming season, with the possibility of a return this winter or spring.

“We just don’t know too much about the virus, recovery from infection and long-term effects,” Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren wrote last month. “Although the evidence for cardiomyopathy is preliminary and incomplete, the uncertain risk at the time was unacceptable.”

The possibility of widespread cases of myocarditis could affect conference thinking at a time when G10 presidents and chancellors are under pressure to reconsider a decision made last month, especially as three other Power Five leagues are moving ahead on schedule with the beginning of their seasons this month. …

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Penn State and Big Ten did not respond to USA TODAY Sports requests for comment.

Many cardiologists, “some high-profile ones,” Sebastianelli said, have concluded that a high percentage of myocarditis cases are incidental and “do not warrant further investigation or further concern.”

For example, a report conducted in Germany at the end of July and used by the G10 to inform last month’s decision has since come under increased scrutiny.

“I think it is important to know what is reliable and what is not, and I think there are a lot of problems with this article, and to be honest, it is incompatible with some of the better data that is in the pathology literature.” Associate Professor in the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine and Radiology from Michigan. Wenk Murthy told Detroit Free Press…

Only one of 26 programs that responded to ESPN survey questions on potential heart disease caused by COVID-19, reported that the athlete had heart problems. But the Oregon State School said the problem was not myocarditis.

In accordance with Mayo Clinic“In many cases, myocarditis goes away on its own or after treatment, leading to a complete recovery.”

However, even in mild cases, the clinic recommends that “people avoid competitive sports for at least three to six months.”

The inflammation can lead to “electrical discomfort,” Sebastianelli said, potentially causing arrhythmias or abnormal heart rhythms.

“What has been noticed in some schools is that some of the athletes have not fully regained their lung function,” he said. “They just don’t train as hard as usual.

“We don’t know how long this will last. What we saw is when people were examined with MRI scans – symptomatic and asymptomatic COVID infections – this is the level of inflammation in the heart muscle that is alarming. “

IN Center Daily Times email, who first reported his comments, Sebastianelli said that he “did not have a direct conversation” about the number of myocarditis cases with Pennsylvania President Eric Barron, “but needless to say, we all have concerns about the health and safety of every student Pennsylvania. “Athletes and competitors of any level are a public health problem.”