Cardiac screening prior to return to play after SARS-CoV-2 infection: focus on the child and adolescent athlete: A Clinical Consensus Statement of the Task Force for Childhood Health of the European Association of Preventive Cardiology

Flavio D'Ascenzi, Silvia Castelletti, Paolo Emilio Adami, Elena Cavarretta, Maria Sanz-de la Garza, Viviana Maestrini, Alessandro Biffi, Paul Kantor, Guido Pieles, Evert Verhagen, Monica Tiberi, Henner Hanssen, Michael Papadakis, Josef Niebauer, Martin Halle

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

9 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Cardiac sequelae after COVID-19 have been described in athletes, prompting the need to establish a return-to-play (RTP) protocol to guarantee a safe return to sports practice. Sports participation is strongly associated with multiple short- and long-term health benefits in children and adolescents and plays a crucial role in counteracting the psychological and physical effects of the current pandemic. Therefore, RTP protocols should be balanced to promote safe sports practice, particularly after an asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection that represents the common manifestation in children. The present consensus document aims to summarize the current evidence on the cardiac sequelae of COVID-19 in children and young athletes, providing key messages for conducting the RTP protocol in paediatric athletes to promote a safe sports practice during the COVID-19 era.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2120-2124
Number of pages5
JournalEuropean journal of preventive cardiology
Volume29
Issue number16
Early online date5 Sept 2022
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 15 Nov 2022

Keywords

  • Adolescent
  • Athlete’s heart
  • COVID-19
  • Children
  • Return to play
  • Screening
  • Sports cardiology

Cite this