This spring, The British Journal of Sports Medicine posted a blog about a study examining the relationship between higher concussion rates in high school athletes post-COVID-19 infection. The study was initiated after sports physicians anecdotally noticed athletes who returned to sport post-COVID infection were three times more susceptible to concussion.

A consortium between ATI Physical Therapy Sports Medicine team consisting of physicians, athletic trainers, physical therapists and leadership partnered with clinical epidemiologists from the Department of Orthopedic Surgery & Rehabilitation at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Sport Injury Prevention Research Centre at the University of Calgary and the Pharmaco-and Device epidemiology Unit at the University of Oxford was created to perform this study. It took place over the course of one year across six states within the ATI network.

Concussion are an issue already in high school sports. However, when coupled with an athlete returning to sport after a COVID infection, the possibility for concussion increases. While the relationship between the two is still undetermined, it may be due to young people still report high rates of symptoms even after the acute infection subsides, including inflammatory syndrome and impaired cognitive processes. 

Although further research is needed, understanding the relationship between post-COVID infections and concussion can lead to improved clinical examinations and athlete and parent education.

Read the full article here: British Journal of Sports Medicine  “Higher Rates of Concussion Following COVID-19 Infection in High School Athletes”