Keyontae Johnson has woken up from a medically induced coma and is reportedly responding well. The 21-year-old was placed in an induced coma as a precautionary measure recently due to some brain-related activities.
Johnson is now able to breathe independently and talk. He is now talking with his parents and attending doctors but remains under observation. The development was reported by Shams Charania of The Athletic via Twitter.
Several NBA players like Trae Young and Tobias Harris responded to that tweet. Both thanked God for the good news, same with other people who have been keeping track of Johnson’s status.
THANK GOD https://t.co/T3LQKJ7uos — Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) December 15, 2020
Johnson collapsed somewhere near center court recently when the University of Florida played the Florida State Seminoles. He fell face-first to the floor coming off a timeout but was immediately given medical attention. Players on both sides were shocked by the sight, some even crying.
Before the timeout, Johnson had just completed a nifty highlight play when he slammed the ball home in an alley-hoop play courtesy of an assist from his teammate Tyree Appleby. The 6-foot-5 cager celebrated the play with his teammates afterward before heading towards the Gators bench.
The Gators were leading at that point, 11-3. They were given the option to resume or cancel the game twice – one after the Johnson collapse and then again at halftime. The University of Florida opted to continue the game but were unsurprisingly playing differently.
The Seminoles went on to win that game, 83-71, extending their mastery over the Gators.
But the real attention right now is on Johnson. Though he is responding well, doctors are keeping track of his health. The junior player was reportedly one of the players that tested positive for COVID-19 in the summer. However, it has yet to be established if this had any link to the recent collapse of Johnson.
There are different scenarios behind the Johnson case. It could be a case of dehydration, perhaps the simplest among medical-related cases. However, it could also be heart-related such as hypertrophic and myocarditis, Fortune reported.
College basketball has had its share of COVID-19 cases, including 15 to 20 coaches already testing positive for COVID-19. Players are experiencing the same and such as raised concerns about the trajectory of college basketball games.
In COVID patients, myocarditis appears to result from the direct infection of the virus attacking the heart, or possibly as a consequence of inflammation triggered by the body’s overly aggressive immune response.
