COVID-19 and Return to Sports Cardiac Screening Guidelines

Approximately 35 to 45 million youth ages 6 to 18 participate in some form of athletics. As more of these young athletes return to sports amid the lingering pandemic, primary care providers are navigating new guidance about evaluating and clearing patients who have recovered from COVID-19. And because COVID-19 infections in pediatric patients are more likely to be asymptomatic or mild compared to adults, pediatric providers will frequently hear return to play questions about patients who had asymptomatic or very mild disease.

On Season 3, Episode 56 of the podcast, we covered the initial guidance on the returning to sport during COVID-19.

Listen to a pediatric cardiologist discuss return to play cardiac screening guidelines

In this episode, we will focus on when to order an ECG and other cardiac considerations for return to play after COVID-19 infection.

Chris Rausch, MD, is the Pediatric Cardiology Medical Director and Director of the Cardiopulmonary Exercise Laboratory at Children’s Hospital Colorado and is Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Cardiology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

In this episode, our experts discuss:

• Guidelines on when patients exposed to or infected with SARS-CoV2 (regardless of symptoms) can return to sports
• When pediatric cardiologists should be consulted on patients with cardiac symptoms
• The impact of MIS-C and COVID-19 on the heart
• Whether cardiac symptoms are an immune response or a direct complication of the virus
• Concerns among community providers that return to play guidance is overly cautious
• Patient age as a factor in return to play recommendations
• Variables for different types of sports
• Management of hypertension in kids diagnosed with COVID-19
• What we are still learning about COVID-19
• Insight into what future guidance might look like

Resources for providers:

• Cardiac Evaluation for Post COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) Infection Return to Play in Children and Adolescents, Children's Hospital Colorado Scientific Advisory Council
• Returning To Play After Coronavirus Infection: Pediatric Cardiologists' Perspective, American College of Cardiology

Treatment of infectious diseases at Children’s Colorado

Our pediatric experts in the Infectious Disease Program at Children's Colorado provide a breadth of expertise ranging from laboratory-based research to the treatment and prevention of infectious diseases. Pediatricians can treat many infectious diseases, but when unique or different symptoms are present, it’s important to refer to a pediatric specialist. We are prepared and ready to treat patients with suspected or confirmed 2019 novel coronavirus. Our clinical staff has been specially trained on how to identify, isolate and treat patients with this and other contagious illnesses.