Musculoskeletal symptoms and related factors in postacute COVID‐19 patients

Abstract

Aim

There is a lack of an overview of the factors associated with postacute COVID‐19 musculoskeletal symptoms. The aims of this study were as follows: 1‐ to evaluate the most frequent admission symptoms and the frequency of musculoskeletal symptoms in postacute COVID‐19 patients; and 2‐ to determine the related factors with the postacute COVID‐19 musculoskeletal symptoms.

Methods

A total of 280 postacute COVID‐19 patients (183 females, 97 males) were enrolled and divided into two groups: 1‐ patients whose musculoskeletal symptoms initiated with or were aggravated by COVID‐19 (n = 240); and 2‐ patients whose musculoskeletal symptoms did not change with COVID‐19 (n = 40). The variables were demographic and treatment data, symptoms on admission, postacute COVID‐19 symptoms, laboratory results (complete blood count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C‐reactive protein, ferritin and d‐dimer), chest computed tomography findings and symptoms during acute COVID‐19.

Results

Most of the patients have fatigue (71.8%), spine pain (70.7%) and myalgia (60.7%). The most common pain region was the back (30.4%). The frequency of dyspnoea was 30%, cough 18.5% and chest pain 10.7%. Having any chronic disease ( P = .031), the duration of hospital stay ( P = .016), frequency of back pain during acute COVID‐19 ( P = .018), tomography findings and d‐dimer ( P = .035) levels were significantly higher, and lymphocyte ( P = .024) levels were significantly lower in the patients whose symptoms began with or were aggravated by COVID‐19.

Conclusion

Back pain was the most frequent symptom on admission. The most common postacute COVID‐19 musculoskeletal symptoms were fatigue, spine pain and myalgia. Lower lymphocyte and higher d‐dimer levels, the presence of COVID‐19 findings in tomography and back pain during acute COVID‐19 infection, higher duration of hospital stay and having chronic diseases were related to post‐COVID‐19 musculoskeletal symptoms.