The reported number of UFC fighters who have tested positive for COVID-19 is closing in on 80 as the promotion heads toward its first fight card of 2021. One thing the UFC numbers don’t reveal is how many of those fighters are suffering from heart issues related to the novel coronavirus.
Between June and August, Ohio State University looked at 26 athletes from the following sports: football, soccer, lacrosse, basketball, and track who tested positive for COVID-19. None of the athletes required hospitalization or received COVID-19–specific antiviral therapy.
According to the study, which is entitled, “Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Findings in Competitive Athletes Recovering From COVID-19 Infection,” the athletes underwent cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR).