Hofstra Athletes May Have Long-Term Health Problems After Recovering From Coronavirus
BY: KATIE FENTON
(Mar. 5, 2021) — A growing body of literature suggests there may be long-lasting or even permanent cardiovascular damage among COVID-19 patients—even those who are young, healthy and asymptomatic, posing a unique risk for college athletes.
According to one study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), some college athletes are showing signs of potentially-fatal heart inflammation, called myocarditis, even months after recovering from the virus. The Canadian Medical Association reports that myocarditis is one of the leading causes of sudden cardiac arrest in athletes under 35. The condition has indefinitely sidelined or even ended the careers of elite college sports stars and professional athletes, including some who tested positive for COVID-19 but were otherwise mildly symptomatic or asymptomatic.
“A lot of people think that, in kids and in young adults, COVID is very mild,” said Dr. Adam Ratner, the director of NYU Langone Health’s division of pediatric infectious diseases. “But the thing that this study raised is that there may be long-term issues that need to be figured out.”
Some organizations have already tried to fill the health information gap. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) does provide health recommendations for student athletes and the NCAA updated its return-to-sport guidelines in light of the pandemic, and JAMA published a tiered, symptom-based approach to screenings. However, universities still retain a great deal of discretion when it comes to monitoring athletes and determining their own “institutional requirements.”
“There’s a lot of variability from school to school, but I think it’s something that should be on people’s radars, both at the level of the schools and at the level of the athletes,” Ratner said. “Just understanding that if they’ve had COVID, that they’re screening before they go back to sports.” Ratner also said that while there is more research to be done, the study’s findings and the AAP’s recommendations should be considered as college athletes return to practicing and competing for their schools.
During a typical season, athletes undergo yearly medical exams, according to student athletes interviewed for this piece and testimony provided by a university spokesperson. “[Hofstra] Athletics has a wide-ranging team of individuals, including physicians and trainers, who monitor and assess the health and physical condition of student-athletes for any issues, including those that might be related to COVID-19,” the spokesperson said. But Hofstra Division I athletes tell The Clocktower that, while there have been measures taken to encourage social distancing, testing and mask-wearing, there haven’t been major institutional shifts to specifically monitor the heart health of COVID-positive athletes in the long run.
A senior on the men’s cross country and track team who requested anonymity said he felt some of these cardiovascular effects after he had COVID-19 in the spring. The student had started working out at home as soon as he was medically cleared and he said his asthma has worsened since. “I didn't have worries until I started working out and realized that I was just a lot weaker,” he said. ”Right after, I wasn't nearly as flexible—I actually tore my hamstring about a week into it. I got my strength back up to par a couple months after I had [COVID-19], but my cardio has gotten a lot worse.”
Emmah Federman, a junior on the women’s golf team, had COVID-19 in February 2021. She explained that Hofstra’s athletic staff has prioritized her health concerns when discussing her eventual return to the sport, which she hopes to take on in the next few weeks.
“I texted my coach today and I was pretty adamant on getting back to golf relatively soon, and he was like, ‘relax, just focus on getting better, there’s really no rush,’” she said. However, Federman said that after reading the study, she isn’t sure if the school’s medical evaluations include the long-term cardiology check-ins she now sees as essential.
“I don't know if you can tell by the way I'm talking, but I am losing my breath, like every two sentences, and I know that my heart rate is higher than usual,” Federman said. “It probably is something that should be further evaluated after. I'm honestly not 100 percent sure if they are doing that, but as of now, it might be a good initiative for individual athletes to actively ask the athletic staff.”
“It is a scary thing for athletes—especially athletes that are more cardiovascular-oriented—to get COVID,” Federman continued. “[Sports] are half of our life in college. To not be able to do that for a while after being sick like that… it hurts.”
According to a Jan. 2 statement from the school, the Hofstra wrestling team had paused all team activities due to at least one positive COVID-19 test within the team’s Tier 1 personnel—consisting of student athletes, coaches and essential support staff. The women’s basketball team released a similar statement on Feb. 2, followed by the men’s basketball team on Feb. 15. The women's lacrosse team was also put on temporary pause due to COVID-19 protocols on Feb. 26, a spokesperson for the university told The Clocktower.
When it comes to how athletes practice and play, Hofstra has more control over preventing the spread of COVID-19.
“Athletics follows all guidance and protocols set forth by the NCAA, the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) and the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA), which include masking, physical distancing and regular COVID-19 testing. The specific protocols vary from sport to sport, based on detailed risk assessments by the NCAA,” a Hofstra spokesperson said in an email.
“We also follow all NYS guidance and work closely with Northwell Health, the primary care/orthopedic services provider for Athletics, to monitor compliance with all COVID-19 protocols and ensure the protection of athletes, coaches and staff. Each team has a full-time trainer that monitors athletes for COVID-19 symptoms and oversees testing protocols. Every athlete is required to undergo a temperature check upon arrival at athletic facilities.”
Charles Small, a senior on the wrestling team, explained that, while the team is tested three times a week and has rules in place to limit the spread of COVID-19, some distancing protocols can feel performative due to the high-contact nature of the sport.
“We all practice together and stuff like that, but we can only have three people in the locker room at one time, and it’s like, alright, it kind of doesn’t make any sense,” Small said. “Like, wrestling’s the most contact sport, so you’ve got 27 guys that are all just in the same room, breathing, sweating and touching each other, but you go down to a locker room and now you’re saying that only three of us can be in there at the same time.”
Because sports games had originally been postponed during Hofstra’s fall semester, both fall and spring sports teams are now playing. The question of how to effectively prevent the spread of the virus and properly treat it in the long term looms for Hofstra Pride Athletics and individual athletes.
