This archive report was first published on 12 July 2020.
Published on July 12, 2020, the NBA is preparing to restart its season amidst concerns about the lingering health effects of COVID-19 on players who contract the virus.
League physicians and officials are worried about the potential long-term effects of COVID-19 on players' health, particularly their lung capacity and cardiac health. According to ESPN, a general manager of a team entering the NBA bubble expressed concerns about the unknown effects of COVID-19 on players' health.
"There are unknown effects it has on lung capacity, unknown effects it has on cardiac health," the general manager said. "What if a 24-year-old catches it in Orlando and, in 14 days, he quarantines and is fine, but then he has these everlasting heart problems? (Or he) gets winded so easily, or he becomes a little bit too susceptible to fatigue?... These are all the unknowns."
NBA's COVID-19 Precautions ¶
Any player who tests positive for COVID-19 faces a two-week quarantine period before being cleared to return to the court. A physician will determine when the isolation period is over, which will include a cardiac screening.
Cardiac Damage Concerns ¶
Matthew Martinez, a consulting cardiologist for the NBA Players Association, stressed that players will need time to rest after a positive test because doctors believe "the amount of cardiac damage can increase if you continue to exercise in the face of an active infection."
Myocarditis Risks ¶
According to the American College of Cardiology's Sports and Exercise Cardiology Council, myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) "could result in cardiac dysfunction, arrhythmias, and death."
Physician's Advice ¶
John DiFiori, the NBA's director of sports medicine, advised players to follow a physician's advice for managing the illness. "If you don't feel well, don't try to push through this," Fiori said. "This is not a situation where anyone, whether you're an athlete or not, should try to push through or minimize symptoms or try to ignore symptoms and try to push through to try to continue to work or continue to play a sport."
