The collapse of Florida striker Keyontae Johnson during a game two months ago “was not related to or the result of a previous or current diagnosis” of COVID-19, his family said in a statement Wednesday
Johnson was rushed to a local hospital on Dec. 12 after falling flat on his face after a timeout in the first half of a game against Florida State in Tallahassee. He was listed in critical but stable condition, school officials said, before he was flown to a hospital in Gainesville a few days later with his mother by his side, where he slowly recovered and started communicating with his family and friends. in the days that followed.
Like most of his teammates, Johnson tested positive for COVID-19 over the summer. Coronavirus can cause myocarditis, a viral infection of the heart muscle.
“Doctors treating the University of Florida Health consulted other local and national experts who reviewed the relevant images and tests related to this case,” said the family statement. “The unanimous conclusion of all experts is that Keyontae’s medical emergency was unrelated to or the result of a previous or current diagnosis by Covid.”
According to the statement, the consultation team included doctors from the Gainesville Cardiac and Vascular Institute, the Washington University Center for Sport Cardiology, Massachusetts General Hospital at Harvard University, the Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the School of Medicine at Yale University.
The school did not reveal Johnson’s diagnosis and did not say what led to the collapse in December. Since joining the team in late December, Johnson has been on the Gators’ sideline, but has not competed. He will not play again this season, according to his family, and will focus on his recovery.
“We remain committed to sharing any information that may be useful to others. Our hope is that the experts’ conclusion that this instance is not related to Covid will bring some peace of mind, ”said the family’s statement. “Our focus now is on academics and Keyontae’s continued recovery. His resilience was inspiring to watch. He will spend the rest of the season focused on being the best coach and teammate he can be. What comes next for Keyontae is him share on your own timeline. “
Johnson had an average of 19.5 points when entering the Florida state game and was projected as a first-round prospect in the ESPN mock draft.