Georgia State QB Mikele Colasurdo diagnosed with heart condition linked to COVID-19
Georgia State quarterback Mikele Colasurdo has been diagnosed with a heart condition as a result of contracting the coronavirus and won't be able to play football this season, he announced Thursday.
The freshman and former three-star prospect from South Carolina arrived on campus in the spring.
In a post on Twitter, Colasurdo thanked coach Shawn Elliott and the training staff for "providing a safe environment for us to train and practice."
"Ultimately it was the procedures and tests set forth by GSU that allowed the doctors to find this condition in my heart and help keep me safe," Colasurdo wrote.
Georgia State said it could not comment on the health of individual student-athletes because of privacy laws, but the university did say that its medical staff "regularly reviews the latest information and recommendations about SARS-CoV-2 infection in athletes, including information about cardiac concerns."
"We believe these protocols are what will keep us safe this season," the statement said.
Earlier this month, Debbie Rucker, the mother of Indiana offensive lineman Brady Feeney, wrote a Facebook post about her son dealing with heart issues after testing positive for COVID-19.
Myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle linked to the coronavirus, has been a concern of Power 5 conferences as they gauge the viability of playing a fall football season during the pandemic.
ESPN reported on Aug. 10 that myocarditis was found in at least five Big Ten athletes and in several other athletes in other conferences.
On Aug. 11, the Big Ten and Pac-12 announced that they would be postponing all fall sports with the intention of playing football in the spring.
The ACC, Big 12 and SEC have all announced that they plan to play football this fall, starting in September.
