Abstract
Objectives: The aim of the study was to identify predictors determining the course of COVID-19 and antibody response in elite athletes.
Design: Observational study.
Methods: Routine medical screening with physical examination, resting ECG, and laboratory tests including antibody response was performed 12-68 days after the diagnosis of COVID-19 in 111 athletes of different sports.
Results: Clinical symptoms were observed in 84% of subjects. The severity of COVID-19 was mild in 82% of athletes and moderate in 2% of cases. Athletes aged above 26 and male were more likely to develop symptomatic COVID-19. Asymptomatic subjects were younger and predominantly female. In 18% of subjects, symptoms were still present 20 (12-68) days (median and range) since positive diagnosis. Antibody response was observed in 88% of athletes, and its magnitude correlated with time since diagnosis of COVID-19 (RT-PCR), fatigue, fever, and conjunctivitis. There were no differences in antibody response between groups distinguished by sports discipline (p = 0.50), and sex (p = 0.59), and antibody response did not correlate with BMI (p = 0.12), age (p = 0.13), the number of symptoms (p = 0.43) or their duration (p = 0.19).
Conclusions: The severity of COVID-19 in elite athletes is predominantly mild and without complications. Athletes can return to sport after two symptom-free weeks and additional heart screening is usually not required. Determination of antibodies has been shown to be a useful indicator of a previous COVID-19 disease, and some symptoms can be used as predictors of antibody response.
Keywords: Antibody response; COI; Exercise; Return to sport; SARS-CoV-2; Sport.
【저자키워드】 SARS-CoV-2, exercise, Antibody Response, sport, return to sport, COI, 【초록키워드】 COVID-19, fatigue, antibody, Diagnosis, Sex, Symptom, RT-PCR, observational study, ECG, COVID-19 disease, Physical examination, severity of COVID-19, symptomatic, clinical, Fever, male, female, Mild, complications, age, predictor, BMI, group, moderate, Laboratory test, subject, return, no difference, routine, positive, athlete, Course, shown, identify, develop, required, was performed, median, can be used, subjects, correlated, magnitude, Determination, diagnosis of COVID-19, number of symptom, 【제목키워드】 disease, Course, Elite, with COVID-19,