Since the pandemic, it has been difficult for athletes to participate in sports due the risk of contracting the Coronavirus.

With the return of professional sports like the NBA, NFL, many players have had trouble staying safe. In the NBA, some have contracted the Coronavirus. Big-name players such as Donovan Mitchell, and Kevin Durant have caught the virus. Transfer to the NFL, players like Cam Newton and Stephon Gilmore have also contracted the virus.

When a player gets the Coronavirus, specific protocols are made to keep those around them safe.  For example, in the NFL, when someone contracts this virus, they are immediately isolated in a separate room, wearing a mask at all times, and transported to their homes to quarantine. Also, others who have come in contact with that person are notified.  This is known as contact tracing.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most people who are infected with the coronavirus show some of the following symptoms: fever, chills, fatigue, headaches, cough, and shortness of breath.  Most patients infected with this virus survive, especially those that are young and healthy. But the big question is, what are the long term effects of this disease?  First off, the virus attacks the lungs’ air sacs, which are responsible for transmitting oxygen into the bloodstream. Your oxygen levels can dip extremely low, and fever can rise to 104 degrees. 

When someone works their muscles, for example, an athlete playing a sport, they take in about 40-60 breaths a minute rather than 15 when one is resting. 

Since this disease is somewhat new, doctors don’t have all the answers to what  its long-term effects will be. What we know is that COVID-19 could impact the, Heart, Lungs, and Brain. Even in young folks, Coronavirus can damage the lungs’ tiny air sacs and cause long-lasting breathing problems. COVID-19 could even cause strokes and temporary paralysis. 

In athletes’ terms, this could make or break someone’s career. Given the uncertainty of the psychological and physical impact of this virus the question is, will athletes who contract this virus be able to play the same way again?