New protocol for students to return to sports after COVID-19 diagnosis

New protocol based on guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics reports that students who want to return to playing sports after being diagnosed with COVID-19 must be assessed by a medical practitioner.

The protocol includes a multiple-step screening evaluation with special emphasis on cardiac symptoms including chest pain, shortness of breath out of proportion for upper respiratory infection symptoms, new-onset palpitations, or syncope. Protocols are available for viewing here. Please print and take this with you to the doctor for reference.

The evaluation groups students as asymptomatic/having mild symptoms, moderate symptoms, or severe symptoms.

Students who were asymptomatic or had mild symptoms (which includes no fever, less than four days of a fever of 100.4 or more, or being symptomatic for less than a week) can return to activities as tolerated if they present no cardiac symptoms.

Students who had moderate symptoms (as based on the screening evaluation) would require an electrocardiogram.

Students with severe symptoms (which includes being hospitalized, abnormal cardiac testing, or having multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children) would require care by a cardiologist. Those with severe symptoms would have to be cleared by a cardiologist to return to play.

For questions, please contact the nurse’s office at (315) 866-2230, ext. 1322.

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