The virus “penetrates the muscle fibers and the spaces between them”. If the load is too high, there is a risk of dangerous heart muscle inflammation. “The heart is an electrical organ through which electrical currents flow. If there is inflammation, the electrical system no longer works properly, which can lead to cardiac arrhythmias.”
“This virus can also affect the heart. Anyone who has lung involvement knows that because they cough. But you can’t feel the heart.”
— Sports physician Martin Halle
Listening to oneself, recognizing signals from the body and not ignoring them under any circumstances are central points. Halle: “How am I doing? Is there exhaustion or tiredness, are my muscles heavy?” The heart rate is also a good indicator. “If I now have a resting heart rate of 70 or even 75 instead of 65, then you absolutely have to say: ‘Break, obviously not healed yet.’
For ambitious athletes: “Have an examination”
Tiredness, a high heart rate or shortness of breath are warning signals that recreational athletes can quickly diagnose themselves. However, it is not so easy to tell whether the heart has been affected. Halle’s appeal, above all, to those “who do a little more ambitious” sport: “Let yourself be examined. With an ECG and a blood test, you can say very well whether there was heart involvement.”
Basically, the path of easing was “gone too quickly,” says Halle. His simple advice: keep wearing a mask inside. “We’ve all gotten used to the masks, you could have just kept doing it,” said the doctor.