Medical images have revealed that COVID-19 can, in some cases, “cause the body to attack,” marking the first glimpse of what is behind mysterious, severe, long-lasting, and sometimes strange symptoms. even in those who never knew they contracted the virus, a new study has been found.
From rheumatoid arthritis outbreaks to autoimmune problems to “COVID toes,” there have been several reports of unusual and potentially coronavirus-related symptoms, many of which have been a mystery during the pandemic.
But according to a Northwestern Medicine study, the radiological image “has confirmed and illustrated for the first time the causes of these symptoms.”
“We have realized that the COVID virus can trigger the body’s attack in different ways, which can lead to rheumatological problems that require lifelong management,” the corresponding author, Dr. Swati Deshmukh.
The study, published Wednesday in the journal Skeletal Radiology, showed that computed tomography imaging, MRIs and ultrasounds can help explain why some patients suffer from “prolonged musculoskeletal symptoms” after contracting the virus.
“Many patients with COVID-related musculoskeletal disorders recover, but for some people, their symptoms become severe, deeply concern the patient, or affect their quality of life, leading them to seek medical attention and imaging. Deshmukh, an assistant professor of musculoskeletal radiology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and a musculoskeletal radiologist at Northwestern Medicine, said. “This image allows us to see if COVID-related muscle and joint pain, for example, are not just body aches similar to the one we see for the flu, but something more insidious.”
In some cases, the image may even suggest that a patient has had COVID-19, but otherwise did not know he had it, the study reveals.
According to the Deshmukh, experts look for fluids or inflammation in tissues, blood collections or gangrene.
“In some patients, the nerves are injured and in others, the problem is a deterioration in blood flow,” Deshmukh said.
Strange symptoms such as COVID toes have been reported throughout the pandemic, which in some cases can last for months, although they are not as common as other common symptoms associated with the virus.
According to the study, however, there have been a “surprising number of extra-pulmonary manifestations” associated with the virus, along with emerging reports of other abnormalities and musculoskeletal disorders, which “can have dire consequences in the short and long term.” .
This long-term inflammation hit the headlines recently after Gwyneth Paltrow revealed she suffered from certain illnesses for months after her initial diagnosis.
“I had COVID-19 at first, and it left me with a bit of long tail fatigue and brain fog,” Paltrow wrote in a recent post on his website, Goop.
Paltrow said he had tests in January that showed he had “really high levels of inflammation in my body.”
Researchers at the Northwest study said they hope their findings will help doctors properly treat certain rare diseases that can lead to a diagnosis of coronavirus.
“I think it’s important to differentiate between what the virus directly causes and what the body does,” Deshmukh said. “It’s important for doctors to know what’s going on to treat them properly.”