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Heart ailment identified in about 2% of athletes who tested positive for COVID, study finds

Virus Outbreak Big Ten Football
Posted at 8:16 PM, May 27, 2021
and last updated 2021-05-27 20:16:01-04

A recent study published in the medical journal JAMA Cardiology found that about 2% of athletes who tested positive for COVID-19 had a heart ailment.

The Big Ten requires athletes to undergo cardiovascular screening following a positive coronavirus test.

Last September, the conference became concerned after many of its athletes, who tested positive for the virus, had shown symptoms of myocarditis.

The recent study found myocarditis in 37 of its 1,597 Big Ten college athletes.

28 of those athletes had no specific symptoms.

According to the study, myocarditis is the leading cause of sudden death in athletes.

Researchers say more testing is needed, but it's unclear if the issue is related to COVID.