Keyontae Johnson diagnosed with acute myocarditis, per report

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Yesterday, Keyontae Johnson was released from the hospital, a great sign as he continues to recover from his collapse during the Florida State game on Dec. 12. According to Zack Abolverdi of the Gainesville Sun, the Florida star was diagnosed with acute myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart linked to COVID-19, for which Johnson tested positive over the summer.

Following the collapse that left Johnson unresponsive, he was transferred last Monday from Tallahassee Memorial to UF Health in Gainesville, where an MRI on his heart led to a diagnosis of acute myocarditis, according to a person with first-hand knowledge. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensibility of the situation.

In a statement announcing his release, Johnson’s parents said they were committed to sharing information on his condition that would be useful to others, but are still waiting for “definitive conclusions” from their doctors. The Sun reached out to Johnson’s father prior to the statement being released, but did not hear back.

“Today is a great day! Keyontae is being released from the hospital. We continue to be amazed at the pace of his recovery and look forward to spending Christmas together as a family.

“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.”

Last week, John Calipari said he and other coaches want to know if Johnson’s episode was linked to COVID-19 because a few of his players also tested positive for it earlier this year.

“No one’s telling us. We know he had COVID but I would hope if there was something related to COVID they’d let us all know because I have a couple kids who had it earlier.”

Johnson is expected to miss the rest of the 2020-21 season. While SEC protocols call for players who have tested positive to undergo a cardiac evaluation, including an electrocardiogram, an echocardiogram, and bloodwork, before being cleared to play, here’s hoping Johnson’s episode will lead to additional testing for conditions that may develop later on.

[Gainesville Sun]