Some professional athletes have suffered steep performance declines after contracting COVID-19

Ezekiel Elliott
Ezekiel Elliott had the worst year of his career in 2020. Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
  • A handful of athletes across all sports have contracted COVID-19 since the pandemic began last year.

  • The virus can come with harsh after-effects that can hurt physical performance, especially endurance.

  • Some athletes have seen their physical performance suffer after contracting the virus.

  • Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

Being an athlete doesn't come with immunity to COVID-19. Since the pandemic began last march, many athletes have contracted the virus, including high-profile professionals expected to perform at the highest level.

While most athletes who have contracted the virus managed to recover and play at their expected level, it has caused performance problems for some athletes, as the after-effects may have resulted in a direct impediment to their physical performance.

The virus, which primarily affects the lungs, can also harm the heart and brain. According to the CDC, it can also lead to long-term issues like fatigue, shortness of breath, muscle pain, abnormal heartbeat, joint and chest pain, and even memory loss. However, one study by JAMA Cardiology found that just 10 of 789 professional athletes who tested positive for COVID-19 were diagnosed with harmful lingering heart conditions.

The long-term effects that athletes do experience aren't necessarily permanent, but they can negatively impact an athlete's performance in the following season. The evidence can be seen across multiple sports.

Here's a look at some of the athletes who saw a drastic dip in performance after contracting COVID-19:

Eduardo Rodriguez was slated to be the Red Sox opening day starting pitcher in 2020. The 27-year-old progressively improved in every major pitching category since coming up to the big leagues in 2015.

Eduardo Rodriguez
Michael Reaves/Getty Images

Rodriguez missed the entire 2020 season after his COVID-19 contraction resulted in myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart linked to the effects of coronavirus. Rodriguez even said he was unable to throw a significant amount of pitches without feeling harsh fatigue.

Eduardo Rodriguez
Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images

Source: ESPN

Paulo Dybala was on a career upswing since joining Juventas in 2015. Dybala was a key player for Juventas, averaging 24.9 minutes per 90 played and 13.6 goals per season.

Paulo Dybola
Giorgio Perottino/Getty Images

Dybala tested positive for COVID-19 four times in a six-week span in April. Since returning to the pitch, Dybala's role has been drastically reduced due to "persistent fitness issues" as he's only scored two goals while averaging 7.2 minutes per 90 played.

Paulo Dybola
Daniele Badolato - Juventus FC/Juventus FC via Getty Images

Source: Juva FC

Tommy Sweeney emerged as a promising rookie tight end for the Buffalo Bills in 2019. The seventh-round pick out of Boston College played in six games with one start while hauling in eight catches for 114 yards.

GettyImages 1166924339
Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images

Like Rodriguez, Sweeney was diagnosed with myocarditis after contracting COVID-19. Sweeney was forced to miss the entirety of his second NFL season.

GettyImages 1163413095
Rey Del Rio/Getty Images

Source: ESPN

Brad Brach was one of the New York Mets' more dependable relief pitchers in 2019, pitching to a .358 ERA with an average fastball velocity of 88.7 mph, Brach's career-best, according to Statcast.

GettyImages 1210342041
Mark Brown/Getty Images

Source: Baseball Savant

Brach contracted COVID-19 before the start of the Mets' summer camp. His ERA ballooned to a career-high 5.84 as his fastball fell to a career-low average velocity of 83.9 mph. Brach even admitted that the lingering effects of the virus impacted his velocity.

GettyImages 1268037124
Steven Ryan/Getty Images

Source: Pat Ragazzo of Metsmerized Online

Ezekiel Elliott has been the Dallas Cowboys' workhorse on offense over the past few years, averaging 21.2 carries and 96.8 rushing yards per game from 2016-19.

Ezekiel Elliott
AP Photo/Ron Jenkins

Elliott contracted COVID-19 in August and saw his production dip dramatically in 2020, seeing just 16.3 carries and 65.3 rushing yards per game. Elliott was simply not on the field for his usual workload last season, and endurance issues could be a big reason as to why.

FILE - In this Dec. 15, 2019, file photo, Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott (21) warms up before an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams in Arlington, Texas. Ezekiel Elliott tested positive for the coronavirus, according to his agent. Rocky Arceneaux told the NFL Network on Monday, June 15, 2020, that Elliott was feeling OK and recovering.(AP Photo/Roger Steinman, FIle)

Source: Pro Football Reference

Calais Campbell racked up four sacks and 24 tackles for the Baltimore Ravens in his first eight games of 2020.

Calais Campbell
Kyle Ross/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Campbell missed three straight weeks after the Ravens' massive COVID-19 outbreak in November. Campbell admitted that the virus was "brutal" and he failed to record a sack and played just 40% of defensive snaps in the team's final five regular-season games and two playoff games.

Calais Campbell
Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

Sources: Pro Football Reference and The Baltimore Sun

Seth Curry averaged 17 points in 30.0 minutes per game and shot 60.3% from the field in his first eight games for the Philadelphia 76ers this season.

Seth Curry
Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images

Curry was removed from the 76ers ninth game of the season after being notified he'd tested positive for COVID-19. Since returning in January, Curry has managed to carry the same load minutes-wise, but his shooting has cratered, with just 9.7 points per game while shooting 40% from the field.

Seth Curry
Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images

Source: Basketball Referece

JAMA Cardiology's study shows that the risk of long-term health defects to athletes is low but still possible.

According to JAMA Cardiology's study, 30 of the 789 professional athletes who underwent cardiac screening after testing positive for the virus had to go back for additional testing. Of those 30, five were diagnosed with inflammatory heart disease, three were diagnosed with myocarditis (which could include Rodriguez and Sweeney), and two were diagnosed with pericarditis.

The 16 doctors who worked on the study, including 10 affiliated with all the major pro sports leagues, found that the athletes who had mild symptoms were less likely to have injury and those with moderate symptoms or worse had a higher chance of cardiac injury.

"If you're in the moderate risk group where you have systemic illness and persistent fevers, chest pressure, increased heart rate, breathlessness or require a hospitalization, that's the group we really need to image to make sure that there's no complication related to COVID. That's going to be a small number," said Dr. Matthew Martinez, the first author of the study.

"There's real value in knowing that you're safe to play, most importantly, and that if you get this virus, the vast majority don't need additional testing – just a little bit of rest."

The major American pro sports leagues invested in cardiac screening before the pandemic, which will allow the athletes to continue to undergo screening. This will help researchers determine if cardiac injury occurs later.

Read the original article on Insider