In recent days, for instance, a study has made its way through Pac 12 leadership about myocarditis, which is a heart condition that has been related to COVID-19.
One official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the topic, called the data they’ve seen “terrifying.” Another unnamed official pointed to the case of Michael Ojo, the former Florida State basketball player who collapsed after a practice in Serbia and died of a heart attack Friday at age 27. According to the president of his team in Serbia, Ojo had recovered from COVID-19 weeks earlier, though it’s unclear whether one had to do with the other or if an underlying heart condition contributed to the tragedy.
But that kind of real-life anecdote with a well-known athlete brings the stakes of this decision into full focus. The idea of a player recovering from COVID-19, then dropping dead on the practice field weeks later because we simply were too premature in understanding its impact on the body, is something many administrators currently consider a moral issue they can’t avoid.
