In the study Musculoskeletal involvement of COVID-19, imaging showed evidence the body can attack itself. “There have been emerging reports, however, of an array of neuromuscular and rheumatologic complications related to COVID-19 infection and disease course including myositis, neuropathy, arthropathy, and soft tissue abnormalities. Multimodality imaging supports diagnosis and evaluation of musculoskeletal disorders in COVID-19 patients.”
“In some patients, the nerves are injured and in others, the problem is impaired blood flow,” said Dr. Swati Deshmukh of Northwestern University.
The severity of the COVID illness does not appear to determine these post-COVID conditions. Some of the subjects of the study did not even know they have had COVID-19.
“In some instances, musculoskeletal imaging may even suggest otherwise unrecognized SARS-CoV2 infection.”
“Musculoskeletal disorders can have dire short- and long-term consequences.”
Many post-COVID cases have really high levels of inflammation in their body. It is believed the inflammation is caused by the body’s autoimmune system attacking itself.
“I think it’s important to differentiate between what the virus causes directly and what it triggers the body to do,” Deshmukh said.