Keyontae Johnson diagnosed with myocarditis that has been linked to COVID-19

Johnson was released from the hospital on Tuesday

Florida’s Keyontae Johnson was just released from the hospital following his collapse on the court, but his health issues may linger as he’s been diagnosed with a heart condition.

A source close to Johnson told USA Today on Wednesday that the SEC preseason player of the year was diagnosed with acute myocarditis. It is a heart inflammation that is associated with viral infections and linked to COVID-19. Johnson was diagnosed with COVID-19 over the summer.

Read More: Florida Gators’ Keyontae Johnson released from hospital following collapse

The discovery of Johnson’s condition was made on Monday after the Florida forward was transferred to UF Health in Gainesville and a MRI was conducted on his heart, according to USA Today. Johnson is expected to miss the remaining season for the Florida Gators due to his illness.

As theGrio previously reported, Johnson collapsed on Dec. 12 during a game at Florida State and had to be placed into a medically induced coma. Thankfully, the 21-year-old started to breathe on his own.

Johnson thanked the doctors and his fans for their support in a video message posted last Friday.

“I know y’all have been sending your prayers out the last few weeks, and me and my parents are very grateful for the prayers that have been going out. To all doctors and medical staff at Tallahassee Memorial and UF Shands, I just want to say thank you for all the support y’all gave me,” Johnson said in the video. “To my Gator Nation and UF athletic family, I just wanted to thank you for all the prayers that y’all gave out to me.”

Read More: Florida’s Keyontae Johnson breathing on his own following collapse

His parents, Nika and Marrecus Johnson, issued a statement on Tuesday that he would be released from the hospital and spend the holiday with them as a family.

“We continue to be amazed at the pace of his recovery,” the family’s statement said. “Along with so many well wishes and prayers, we’ve understandably gotten questions about the cause and extent of Keyontae’s illness. As much as everyone involved wants firm answers, the process to draw definitive conclusions continues, and we ask for patience as the medical professionals continue their work.

“We are committed to sharing not only updates on Keyontae but also any information we think could help others. When we have that, we will share it. Until then, we continue to be grateful for the care and support Keyontae is receiving.”

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The post Keyontae Johnson diagnosed with myocarditis that has been linked to COVID-19 appeared first on TheGrio.