Key result
An extensive cardiopulmonary screening protocol did not identify any significant cardiovascular abnormalities in 30 professional athletes with previous asymptomatic or mild SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Why the study?
It was unclear if and how to screen SARS-CoV-2-positive athletes to safely resume training and competitions while avoiding inappropriate examinations.
Does extensive cardiopulmonary screening identify relevant anomalies in athletes with previous asymptomatic or mild SARS-CoV-2 infection?
Cohort (n=30)
Does extensive cardiopulmonary screening identify relevant anomalies in athletes with previous asymptomatic or mild SARS-CoV-2 infection?
Does not support routine extensive screening after mild SARS-CoV-2 in athletes; leaves open optimal protocols for larger studies.
OBJECTIVE: During the COVID-19 pandemic, it is essential to understand if and how to screen SARS-CoV-2-positive athletes to safely resume training and competitions. The aim of this study is to understand which investigations are useful in a screening protocol aimed at protecting health but also avoiding inappropriate examinations. METHODS: We conducted a cohort study of a professional soccer team that is based on an extensive screening protocol for resuming training during the COVID-19 pandemic. It included personal history, antigen swabs, blood tests, spirometry, resting/stress-test ECG with oxygen saturation monitoring, echocardiogram, Holter and chest CT. We also compared the findings with prior data from the same subjects before infection and with data from SARS-CoV-2-negative players. RESULTS: None of the players had positive swab and/or anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgM class antibodies. Out of 30 players, 18 (60%) had IgG class antibodies. None had suffered severe SARS-CoV-2-related disease, 12 (66.7%) had complained of mild COVID-19-related symptoms and 6 (33.3%) were asymptomatic. None of the players we examined revealed significant cardiovascular abnormalities after clinical recovery. A mild reduction in spirometry parameters versus pre-COVID-19 values was observed in all athletes, but it was statistically significant (p<0.05) only in SARS-CoV-2-positive athletes. One SARS-CoV-2-positive player showed increased troponin I level, but extensive investigation did not show signs of myocardial damage. CONCLUSION: In this small cohort of athletes with previous asymptomatic/mild SARS-CoV-2 infection, a comprehensive screening protocol including blood tests, spirometry, resting ECG, stress-test ECG with oxygen saturation monitoring and echocardiogram did not identify relevant anomalies. While larger studies are needed, extensive cardiorespiratory and haematological screening in athletes with asymptomatic/mild SARS-CoV-2 infection appears unnecessary.
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Gervasi et al. (2020) conducted a cohort in Previous asymptomatic or mild SARS-CoV-2 infection (n=30). Previous asymptomatic or mild SARS-CoV-2 infection vs. SARS-CoV-2-negative players and pre-infection data was evaluated on Significant cardiovascular abnormalities after clinical recovery. An extensive cardiopulmonary screening protocol did not identify any significant cardiovascular abnormalities in 30 professional athletes with previous asymptomatic or mild SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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