Hoops star who collapsed has heart condition that could be caused by COVID-19

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The on-court collapse of Florida star Keyontae Johnson may be connected to an earlier positive test of COVID-19, according to the Gainesville Sun.

Johnson has been diagnosed with acute myocarditis, which is also known as heart inflammation, a condition that is believed to occasionally result from certain cases of the virus.

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The SEC Preseason Player of the Year, Johnson is expected to miss the remainder of the season. He was released from the hospital on Tuesday, his parents, Nika and Marrecus Johnson, said in a statement.

"We continue to be amazed at the pace of his recovery," they said. "Along with so many well wishes and prayers, we’ve understandably gotten questions about the cause and extent of Keyontae’s illness. As much as everyone involved wants firm answers, the process to draw definitive conclusions continues, and we ask for patience as the medical professionals continue their work.

"We are committed to sharing not only updates on Keyontae but also any information we think could help others. When we have that, we will share it. Until then, we continue to be grateful for the care and support Keyontae is receiving."

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Johnson tested positive for the virus in the summer, as did several other teammates. He was given a cardiac evaluation — an electrocardiogram, an echocardiogram, and a blood test that can reveal evidence of cardiac issues — before returning to workouts.

"At Florida, we do an EKG and an echo on every athlete that comes to us, so we have that on record already. So if someone gets COVID, and we repeat this cardiac workup, we are able to compare back to what they were when they came in as a freshman or transfer here. So we have a pretty good idea if there were any changes," Florida team physician, Dr. Jay Clugston, told TV20 in August. "There does seem to be more cases or cardiac effects from this virus than maybe we have seen from others, although, we are looking a lot more closely than we have in the past. I think all of us are cautious about it."

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