Ellen DeGeneres stepped away from the spotlight following accusations that her show fostered a toxic work environment. She has since shifted her focus to animal conservation, recently completing the Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund in Rwanda.
However, DeGeneres recently contracted COVID-19 and shared an update on social media, expressing her surprise at experiencing back pain as a symptom. She caught the virus in December 2020 despite following “proper precautions” and confirmed her diagnosis shortly after.
A week later, DeGeneres provided a health update, announcing she was feeling “100%” better but revealed an unexpected symptom of COVID: severe back pain. “What they don’t tell you is that you’ll experience intense back pain. I had no idea until I talked to others,” she said, adding, “Who would have thought back pain would be a symptom?”
At the time DeGeneres contracted the virus, research into COVID-19 symptoms was still developing. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) had not officially listed back pain as a symptom early on, although muscle and body aches were recognized.
Initial COVID symptoms included fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, headache, loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion, nausea, and diarrhea. While back pain wasn’t highlighted early, many people reported it as the pandemic progressed.
The NHS has since explained that back pain and muscle issues can worsen during illness. Pre-existing conditions may flare up due to inactivity while recovering from COVID, leading to increased joint stiffness and muscle weakness. Those who were less mobile during the pandemic, particularly due to remote work, experienced a rise in back and shoulder pain.
A study from Malta revealed that before COVID, 30% of participants reported chronic back pain, which rose to 49% post-COVID. Interestingly, many of those affected had never experienced back pain before the pandemic.
It’s important to note that back pain alone doesn’t mean you have COVID. Aches and muscle discomfort can be caused by various factors, including other illnesses like the flu, which may be more common during colder months. Back pain can also be associated with conditions like pneumonia, which causes inflammation and infection in the thoracic area.
Back discomfort may present itself in different ways, such as sharp or stabbing sensations, pain radiating down the leg, tingling, or a constant dull ache.
