A new study using data from the NFL, NHL, MLB, NBA, MLS and WNBA found that professional athletes rarely suffered heart issues following a COVID-19 positive test.
According to a study in JAMA Cardiology, of the 789 professional athletes from the aforementioned leagues who tested positive for COVID-19 between May 2020 and October 2020, just five had developed cardiac issues, with no athletes having significant heart issues after being cleared to play.
Though only 0.6% of athletes were found to have myocarditis (heart inflammation) or pericarditis (swelling of the tissue that surrounds the heart) those conditions were found in more than 7% of patients who had tested positive for COVID-19, according to a study in Circulation, a journal of the American Heart Association, published in March 2020.