Important PSA for athletes, and parents of student athletes: Post #COVID infection (even mild) there are serious risks to quickly returning to sports. What is #myocarditis, and why is it important? 1/

Myocarditis is inflammation of the heart muscle that can disrupt electrical activity, in some cases causing arrhythmia and sudden death. We know from MRI scans that 15% of athletes had signs of myocarditis when scanned 11-53 days post initial illness. 2/ https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamacardiology/fullarticle/2770645

Also, 30% of that group had signs of prior injury to the heart - even though many of those scanned had mild COVID symptoms and some had no symptoms at all. But when they resume activity and exert their heart muscle, they're at risk. 3/

Myocarditis heals over time but can take weeks - or longer with severe COVID. But a lot of young adults & kids go right back to sports when they feel better. And that's the tricky thing: because you can have this injury to your heart and feel fine, but be at risk of death. 4/

The @AAP has put out guidelines to help with safe return to sports, but we are hearing that the word is not out. And we understand, there's a lot of information out there! 5/ https://services.aap.org/en/pages/2019-novel-coronavirus-covid-19-infections/clinical-guidance/covid-19-interim-guidance-return-to-sports/

Briefly, see your MD: Athletes need to wait a minimum of 14 days after symptoms resolve (or 14 total if no symptoms), get an EKG they had any COVID symptoms, and if they have moderate/severe COVID or any signs of myocarditis, they need an evaluation by a cardiologist. 6/

And this underscores the importance of getting tested! If anyone around you has covid-19 or you have any symptoms of it, your next step should be to get a #test. You need to know.

There's still a lot we don't know about the virus, and we're learning. But we have enough evidence here to say that this risk we all need to be wary of, even in the healthiest athletes. Stay safe, folks! #mtnews #tweetiatrician #aapnews

@CommunityMedMT @AAPNews @GovernorBullock @DPHHSMT @MHSA_MT @montanasports @406mtsports @UMGRIZZLIES @MontanaGrizFB