[Covid 19 : return to sport criteria for elite athletes]

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic raised concerns about potential cardiac damage when infected athletes returned to sport. Swiss sports medicine and cardiology quickly published guidelines to manage this risk, proposing appropriate investigations and a gradual return to sport protocol. Although these guidelines have been adapted as new knowledge emerged in 2021 and 2022, they were introduced at a time of overestimation of the rate of cardiac complications in pauci-/asymptomatic elite athletes. Updated guidelines should be issued shortly, in accordance with the current state of research. In the meantime, the investigations and process suggested by Sport & Exercise Medicine Switzerland and Swiss Olympic remain valid and should be applied.