Though uncommon, cardiac arrests in youth are not unexpected. Last Monday, Bronny, the 18-year-old son of LeBron James, collapsed in LA during a workout. After getting rushed to a hospital, he was diagnosed with cardiac arrest.
The incidents shook up fans as the youth is an active basketball player. A family spokesperson reported that he has the same condition that is proven to be the #1 killer of student-athletes. What’s more shocking is that it is most prevalent among male basketball players.
Fortunately, Bronny is in stable condition at the moment after receiving on-site care from the school’s medical staff. James suffered from a cardiac arrest which is different from a heart attack. While cardiac arrest is the sudden stoppage of the heart, a heart attack ensues when blood flow to the heart is reduced or blocked.
According to researchers from the University of Washington, cardiac arrest is responsible for the sudden death of 75% of student-athletes during exercise. Basketball players are the highest-risk demographic in the condition.
As such, many famous sportspersons have undergone similar cases. Just last year, Vince Iwuchukwu, a freshman in the USC basketball program, collapsed during practice and survived. Some other famous yet tragic cases are Reggie Lewis, Zeke Upshaw, and many more.
The CEO of Twitter, Elon Musk, commented on the recent news of Bronny by accusing the COVID-19 vaccine. The remark during such a palpable moment has angered social media users and researchers alike.
Myocarditis is an inflammatory condition affecting the heart. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cases of Myocarditis have been reported in adolescents and young adult males who took Pfizer, BioNTech, or Moderna vaccines.
However, it is unclear if Bronny was fully up-to-date with his vaccines. There is no evidence connecting the cardiac arrest to a vaccine, and the cause behind the cardiac arrest has also not been revealed yet.
Elon Musk has a history of false Covid predictions, and the latest tweet only adds to his list of conspiracy theories.
In March 2020, when Covid-19 cases deaths were increasing in number, the tech mogul tweeted, “The coronavirus panic is dumb. He falsely predicted that there would be zero new cases by the end of April. He also insisted that children ae immune to the virus when there are plenty of known cases where children have contracted the virus.
In September 2020, Elon Musk was adamant about not taking the vaccine even when it became available as he considered the virus to have a low mortality rate. He insisted that he and his kids were not at risk.
Musk did not like it when his Tesla assembly line was forced to shut in California. He reopened the assembly line, violating local health rules. Unsurprisingly, hundreds of employees tested positive after this move.
It looks like the CEO of Twitter is still hung up on the COVID-19 vaccine and its effects. In response to the tweet, Dr. Janette Neshiwat, a medical contributor on Fox News, clarified that what’s “more common in someone like Bronny James is cardiomyopathy, not myocarditis.”
Many social media users have commented on the tweet and asked Musk to consult his vast resources before claiming something like this.
Misinformation about vaccines is still prevalent, and the government is trying to push them back as much as possible.
Do you think the vaccine is involved with the unfortunate cardiac arrest that Bronny faced? Tell us about your opinions in the comments below.
