Covid Related Athlete Deaths

health

Jul 18

As Monkeypox takes over health headlines from Covid-19, the long term aftereffects of Covid on the body — and the body politic! — are still lurking among us, and within us, and athletes appear to be at higher cardiac risk of future Covid damage to the heart than the rest of the population.

Here’s a bit of research to share light on that concern:

Scientists have discovered an alarming increase in the incidence of sudden cardiac deaths in athletes following Covid-19 infection and/or vaccination.
In a new scientific paper, “Covid-related athletic deaths: Another perfect storm?” published in the journal Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, researchers Philip Maffetone and Paul Laursen highlight the disturbing trend of sudden cardiac death in the wake of the Covid pandemic. While SCD in athletes is relatively rare, even a single case is too many, especially considering most are preventable.
The researchers highlight the common cardiac risks associated with both Covid-19 infection and the side effects of mRNA vaccinations (Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna) — myocarditis and pericarditis.
Both myocarditis and pericarditis are acute inflammatory cardiac conditions that raise the risk of SCD. They can lead to cardiac dysfunction such as arrhythmias and heart failure. Viral myocarditis in asymptomatic athletes is a common cause, especially in those under 35 years including adolescents.
Myocarditis tends to develop rapidly in younger individuals, mostly after a second vaccination; pericarditis tends to affect middle age and older patients later, after either the first or second dose.
It’s been long known that physical activity can increase the risk of death in those with myocarditis. In addition, high-intensity exercise, which releases stress hormones called catecholamines, and is a common risk factor for overtraining, can suppress the immune system and risk infection, and promote inflammation. These problems can last several days, even after a single exercise bout. By comparison, a similar type of cardiac injury is observed in the hearts of some patients recently given mRNA vaccines (which can increase heart inflammation) and in post-Covid-19 infections. Health practitioners, parents, and coaches should recognize the potential added risk of mRNA Covid vaccination in athletes and take the necessary precautions.
Many athletes with SCD had no apparent signs or symptoms and first presented with sudden death. However, about 30 percent reportedly had chest pain, shortness of breath, performance decline, or palpitations leading up to the event. Better healthcare and education can help prevent such events.

As we age, and as we become more aware of the lingering, hidden, attacks against our bodies from a variety of viruses, and other diseases, the way to persevere-to-overcome is to stay alert to symptoms — even if we are not currently infected — and to test. Get methodological baselines. Compare pedagogic moments in time. Find the trends.

With professional athletes, it will always be easier to spot a health anomaly before it hits, and so the rest of us sometime athletes might do better than to just sit and wonder about the lurking future. We need to proactively ask our medical support teams to test us, verify us, and care for the needs we do not yet understand that we have.