Minnesota Vikings linebacker Cameron Smith went for a routine COVID-19 screening test last week and left a changed man after a physician noticed an anomaly with his heart, the Minneapolis StarTribune reports.
What you should know:
1. Mr. Smith's first COVID-19 test came back positive. He then had to undergo three to four more tests, which were all negative. During the subsequent tests, results continued to look abnormal, so the Vikings sent him to undergo a full physical with an EKG and a full-body MRI. The MRI caught a bicuspid aortic valve defect.
"I was very shocked," Mr. Smith said. "The news is alarming. To hear open-heart surgery, my head instantly started rushing."
2. Mr. Smith had the defect since birth, and it's believed his heart could've failed him because of the intense physical stress of the sport.
3. He will have surgery in Philadelphia Aug. 24 to correct the issue, and is currently under observation at the Twin Cities Orthopedic Performance Center in Eagan, Minn., to ensure his heart rate doesn't spike. He'll need around three months of rehabilitation but is expected to make a full recovery.
4. Mr. Smith said the COVID-19 test was a miracle. He said: "It did save my life. It's a blessing in disguise."