Over the past few years, you've likely heard increasing reports of young athletes collapsing suddenly. The big question remains: Is this just confirmation bias, or is there something more?
A recent study published in February 2025 sought to answer this question by examining sudden cardiac arrests (SCA) and sudden cardiac deaths (SCD) in young athletes before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. On the surface, its conclusion is simple: there’s no significant increase. But should we take this at face value? Or is there more beneath the surface?
Confirmation Bias or Real Trend?
The study suggests that increased attention on athlete deaths is simply a trick of the mind - like noticing more red cars after buying one. They argue that social media has amplified these events, giving the illusion of a rise in cases.
However, the data deserves a closer look. The study spans 2017 to 2022, dividing the cases into pre-pandemic (2017-2019) and pandemic years (2020-2022). The total number of cases?
2017-2019: 203 cases
2020-2022: 184 cases
At first glance, this suggests a slight decline, reinforcing the study’s claim that no real increase occurred. But is this the right comparison?
Astley, Camilla, et al. "Sudden Cardiac Arrest Among Young Competitive Athletes Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic." JAMA Network Open 8.2 (2025): e2461327-e2461327.
The Issue With the Timeframe
One glaring red flag in this study is its inclusion of 2020 in the pandemic period. This was a year of global lockdowns, where sports participation plummeted. If fewer athletes were competing, wouldn’t we expect a drop in cardiac incidents simply due to reduced activity?
