ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — After you are done battling COVID-19, your fight may not be over.
The side effects of the coronavirus are still being understood, but doctors are finding myocarditis in some survivors.
Myocarditis, or inflammation of the heart muscle, is typically caused by a virus. It can lead to an irregular heartbeat.
“So coronavirus being a virus, it's not unexpected that you would find many cases in which the heart or the heart muscle is affected, causing myocarditis," explained Dr. Bibhu Mohanty, a cardiologist at USF Health,
For athletes, myocarditis can present a big risk, because the condition is worsened when strain is put on the heart.
This could be why, in part, some of the conferences are delaying the start of their seasons.
But anyone could be at risk of developing myocarditis. It is unclear exactly how many COVID-19 survivors have the condition, as it requires screening to detect.
Dr. Mohanty recommends that survivors who experienced or are experiencing chest pain, talk to their primary care physician about their conditions.
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