[Skip to Content]

Claim CME

Coronavirus (COVID-19)

A Game Plan for the Resumption of Sport and Exercise After Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Infection

Educational Objective
To understand how physicians can help athletes return to exercising after being infected with COVID-19

1 Credit CME

JAMA Cardiology

Published Online: May 13, 2020

Viewpoint

Article Information and Disclosures

Dermot Phelan, MD, PhD¹;

Jonathan H. Kim, MD, MSc²;

Eugene H. Chung, MD, MSc³

Author Affiliations

¹Sports Cardiology, Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Program, Sanger Heart and Vascular Institute, Atrium Health, Charlotte, North Carolina
²Sports Cardiology, Emory School of Medicine, Emory Clinical Cardiovascular Research Institute, Atlanta, Georgia
³Cardiac Electrophysiology Service, Sports Cardiology Clinic, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

Read article on JAMA Network

Read Article Claim CME

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with significant mortality and morbidity, including adverse cardiovascular sequelae.¹ As public health policy begins to guide the resumption of recreational and competitive sport, clinicians are charged with determining when competitive athletes and highly active individuals who have been infected with COVID-19 and recovered are medically appropriate to return to play. There are limited data establishing the epidemiologic and clinical metrics required to facilitate this process. Specifically, the prevalence of asymptomatic COVID-19 cases in the community, the prevalence of cardiac injury among nonhospitalized individuals with COVID-19, and long-term outcomes attributable to COVID-19 cardiac injury remain unknown. Recognizing these limitations, members of the American College of Cardiology’s Sports & Exercise Cardiology Council, with input from national leaders in sports cardiology, provide a consensus expert opinion clinical framework on return to play in the era of COVID-19.

Claim CME

Sign in to take quiz and track your certificates

Buy This Activity

Article Information

Corresponding Author: Eugene H. Chung, MD, MSc, Cardiac Electrophysiology Service, Sports Cardiology Clinic, Frankel Cardiovascular Center, Michigan Medicine, 1500 E Medical Center Dr, SPC 5853, Office 2369, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-5853 (chungeug@med.umich.edu).

Published Online: May 13, 2020. doi:10.1001/jamacardio.2020.2136

Author Contributions: Drs Phelan and Kim contributed equally as co–first authors.

Conflict of Interest Disclosures: Dr Kim receives compensation for his role as team cardiologist for the Atlanta Falcons. No other disclosures were reported.

Additional Contributions: This Viewpoint is endorsed by the American College of Cardiology Sports and Exercise Cardiology Section. In addition, the Section acknowledges contributions from Aaron L. Baggish, MD (Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston); Michael S. Emery, MD (Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis); Benjamin D. Levine, MD (University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas); and Matthew W. Martinez, MD (Atlantic Health System, Morristown, New Jersey). These individuals were not compensated for their effort and contributed to all recommendations put forth in this expert consensus document

References

Clerkin KJ , Fried JA , Raikhelkar J , et al. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and cardiovascular disease. Circulation. Published online March 21, 2020. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.120.046941 PubMed Google Scholar

Driggin E , Madhavan MV , Bikdeli B , et al. Cardiovascular considerations for patients, health care workers, and health systems during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. J Am Coll Cardiol. Published online March 18, 2020. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2020.03.031 Google Scholar

Maron BJ , Udelson JE , Bonow RO , et al; American Heart Association Electrocardiography and Arrhythmias Committee of Council on Clinical Cardiology, Council on Cardiovascular Disease in Young, Council on Cardiovascular and Stroke Nursing, Council on Functional Genomics and Translational Biology, and American College of Cardiology. Eligibility and disqualification recommendations for competitive athletes with cardiovascular abnormalities. Circulation. 2015;132(22):e273-e280.PubMed Google Scholar

AMA CME Accreditation Information

Credit Designation Statement: The American Medical Association designates this Journal-based CME activity activity for a maximum of 1.00  AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the participant to earn up to:

1.00 Medical Knowledge MOC points in the American Board of Internal Medicine's (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program;;
1.00 Self-Assessment points in the American Board of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery’s (ABOHNS) Continuing Certification program;
1.00 MOC points in the American Board of Pediatrics’ (ABP) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program;
1.00 Lifelong Learning points in the American Board of Pathology’s (ABPath) Continuing Certification program; and
1.00 CME points in the American Board of Surgery’s (ABS) Continuing Certification program

It is the CME activity provider's responsibility to submit participant completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting MOC credit.