I know this has been a hot topic on various listservs. I received this email from the KY AAP executive director a short time ago.
The KMA Sports Medicine Advisory Committee met yesterday. Dr. Rob Revelette is a pediatrician and member of this committee. He shares the following updated information:
- Sports Physicals. The deadline for those exams done last year will not be extended. The KHSAA commissioner will communicate with coaches and encourage them to get their players in ASAP. Special attention to mental health status (PHQ 4 questions) should be given during the visit. He will also ask the governor to address this during one of his presentations.
- Symptomatic COVID-19 athletes. Emerging evidence indicates that a significant percentage of those with symptomatic COVID-19 infections have myocardial involvement. The American Academy of Cardiology has released guidelines (https://www.acc.org/latest-in-cardiology/articles/2020/05/13/12/53/exercise-and-athletics-in-the-covid-19-pandemic-era). The committee did not endorse theses guidelines but wanted to make us aware they had been put forward. To my knowledge, the AAP and Sports Medicine groups have not released guidelines. I will provide updates when these are developed. The bottom line is to use caution when releasing an athlete to play if he/she has had symptomatic COVID-19.
- Plans for return to sports are being developed and it is anticipated that these will be phased in gradually. Athletes will require and extended period of time for conditioning before return to competition.
Robin