COVID-19 can cause a number of bothersome symptoms. Among them are coughing, shortness of breath, elevated body temperature, general weakness, feelings of fatigue and muscle pain. The latter can be severe enough to make it difficult to function. Why are muscle pains observed with coronavirus infection and how can they be managed?
What is muscle pain like during COVID-19?
SARS-CoV-2 virus infection can be asymptomatic, sparsely symptomatic, or give really troublesome symptoms lasting from a few days to a few weeks. The first symptoms are observed from 5 to 14 days after the virus enters the body. The time between 1 and 5 days is the period of incubation and multiplication of the virus in the epithelium of the upper respiratory tract.
Among the most common symptoms of COVID-19 are elevated fever, cough and shortness of breath, weakness, muscle aches, loss or change of smell and taste. Some of the symptoms persist even when the others have long since disappeared – they are considered a long-term sequela of the infection. Such long-term sequelae include the muscle and joint pains discussed above.
What kind of muscle pain with coronavirus is normal?
One that lasts much longer than the discomfort that results from overexertion during exercise, that is, more than 48 hours. Importantly, the pain can be acute – some patients describe it as incapacitating – and generalized – literally the entire body hurts, although back pain is most common. In some cases, muscles are sensitive to both movement and touch. This definitely affects the ability to function normally in people infected with coronavirus.
Muscle and joint pain during illness
Why does muscle pain occur when infected? Coronavirus is classified as a viral infection, just like various types of colds and the flu. All such diseases are associated to a greater or lesser extent with experiencing muscle pain. It is believed that during the course of the infection the muscle tissue becomes inflamed, irritating the pain receptors and eventually damaging the muscle fibers. As a result, the patient does not have the strength to get out of bed, walk even a few steps and, in extreme situations, move his arm. In some cases, there is so-called skin hypersensitivity – hypersensitivity to touch is really high, in which case only the absence of contact with the stimulus helps.
However, it is important to remember that muscle pain occurring as a stand-alone symptom may or may not indicate SARS-CoV-2 infection. It is not a characteristic symptom, and does not appear in every or almost every coronavirus patient.
Read: Complications after covid-19 disease
Muscle pain vs coronavirus
Muscle pain vs. coronavirus – muscle pain may worsen or decrease over the course of the infection. How the infection develops depends on the body. One will cope with it much easier and the symptoms will disappear after a few days, while the other will cope worse and the bothersome symptoms will persist even a few weeks after the end of the disease. How to cope with muscle pain during an infection? First of all, rest and lie in bed as much as possible, drink plenty of fluids, while taking painkillers. Effective in relieving symptoms of coronavirus is, among other things, paracetamol contained in over-the-counter remedies.
For some COVID-19 sufferers, the pain subsides with the use of warm compresses, baths or warming ointments, but unfortunately this is not the rule. If you are experiencing severe pain, you can try anything to relax the muscles and evaluate the effectiveness of such measures yourself.
If the pain does not subside after administering painkillers, the patient should contact a doctor. The specialist has the option of writing stronger preparations sold only by prescription. Sometimes it turns out that pain localized in the lower back is the result of another inflammatory condition, such as a kidney infection, so the ailment should not be underestimated. Then the indication for a doctor’s visit will be scanty urine and dark colored urine.
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