Concerns surrounding the links between COVID-19 and heart issues, specifically myocarditis, was one of the reasons why the Big Ten decided to postpone fall sports on Aug. 11.
Whether the Big Ten votes in favor of playing football this fall this week could depend, in part, on whether the conference is confident it can mitigate those risks.
One way the Big Ten could make that happen: Using cardiac MRIs to detect possible cases of myocarditis in athletes who test positive for COVID-19.
In the midst of the debates that have taken place in the Big Ten and all over the country about the risks of playing sports during the COVID-19 pandemic, a group of Ohio State doctors and researchers conducted a study using cardiac MRIs – also known as CMR – to detect symptoms associated with myocarditis in college athletes who had tested positive for the virus.