Returning to Sports During COVID-19

Professional leagues like the MLB, NHL, and NBA have implemented drastic safety measures to limit exposure to athletes by limiting travel and in some cases creating a bubble to prevent outside interactions.

Thus far, many NCAA fall sports have been postponed with hope the spring will provide a safer landscape to play. Professionals leagues have banned crowds, increased testing, and in the case of the NBA and NHL created a bubble that they hope prevents anyone not approved from coming in.

But what are the risks to athletes who contract the virus? Could there be long-term lung or heart damage that could put the remainder of their careers at risk?

The answer at this point is unknown.

In the latest episode of the DocTalk Podcast, Louis Kovacs, MD, Medical Director of Towson University Athletics, discusses some of the challenges and measures needed to keep athletes safe, from youth soccer players to college and professional football players.