Student athletes and COVID-19

We are very excited for the start of Spring sports and student athletes’ safety is our #1 priority!

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and Sports Medicine Advisory Committee (SMAC) have updated their cardiac clearance recommendations based on the latest data regarding long-term sequelae of COVID19.

If your student athlete aged 12 and up had COVID, the latest guidelines state they must be evaluated prior to returning to competitive sports.

This is because there is a rare but serious complication of COVID-19 infection called myocarditis that essentially causes inflammation of the heart and it’s blood supply and can result in serious injury if missed.

Any athlete age 12 and older who had COVID should make an appointment to be cleared. Based on the new criteria, some of these athletes will require an EKG or a cardiology evaluation prior to returning to play.

After recovering from COVID, they recommend all athletes should not immediately resume full activity but rather should be easing back into activity a minimum of 2 weeks after COVID symptoms have resolved.

If you are not sure whether your child requires evaluation for return to their sport, please call our office.”