The University of Florida’s men’s basketball team announced has concluded that Keyontae Johnson’s on-the-court collapse on Dec. 12 was not COVID-19 related. The university consulted with multiple healthcare professionals. Johnson, who has been serving as a coach since recovering from the incident, will not play basketball for the rest of this season.
UF Health physicians reviewed relevant imaging and testing with other local and national experts including physicians from the Cardiac and Vascular Institute of Gainesville, University of Washington Center for Sports Cardiology, Massachusetts General Hospital at Harvard University, Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Yale University School of Medicine. The conclusion was unanimous.
After coming out of a timeout against Florida State, Johnson collapsed on the court and was in critical condition. He was also in a medically-induced coma before recovering. Johnson was diagnosed with acute myocarditis — inflammation of the heart — which can be caused by viral infections like COVID-19, according to the Gainesville Sun’s Zach Abolverdi.
Since his recovery, Johnson has stepped away from playing for the time being. Johnson would be eligible to opt for the NBA Draft if he decided to forgo his senior year.
Johnson was the preseason SEC Play of the Year and averaged 16 points per game before his hospitalization.