Immune-mediated conditions associated to Corona Virus Disease-19 (COVID-19) have been reported, including vasculitis, antiphospholipid antibody syndrome, myositis, and lupus. Emerging studies have reported the potential occurrence of reactive arthritis in patients previously infected with COVID-19.
Can COVID Cause Arthritis? The short answer is yes, it can.
Alleviation of symptoms and recovery were noted in 22 cases. The mean duration of the clinical resolution was 16 + 57 days.
The typical symptoms of COVID-19 range from those resembling the flu or a bad cold to ones that are much more severe. However, there are less frequent symptoms you probably wouldn't expect that follow some people both during the illness and long after recovery. One of those is muscle and joint pain from COVID-19.
Typically, reactive arthritis is caused by a sexually transmitted infection (STI), such as chlamydia, or an infection of the bowel, such as food poisoning. You may also develop reactive arthritis if you, or someone close to you, has recently had glandular fever or slapped cheek syndrome.
Reactive arthritis is triggered by an infection—frequently a sexually transmitted or food-borne bacterial infection—but it is separate from the infection and typically sets in after the infection has cleared.
According to the CDC (Centres for Disease Control and Prevention), myalgia is amongst the common lasting symptoms after having COVID. Sometimes your joints and muscles might: Ache. Feel painful.
There's no cure for reactive arthritis, but the condition is usually temporary and treatment can help to relieve your symptoms. Most people will make a full recovery in about six months, although around one in five cases lasts a year or more, and a small number of people experience long-term joint problems.
Researchers believe that reactive arthritis is an autoimmune disorder. An autoimmune disorder occurs when the body's immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue. In reactive arthritis, a preceding infection induces an immune system response.
Many have found a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants and phytochemicals that supply the body with anti-inflammatory nutrients helps ease RA symptoms. In a Mediterranean-style diet, these nutrients are found in fruits and vegetables, fish, olive oil, unrefined grains, nuts, seeds and beans.
X-rays can reveal the status of the joints, including signs of reactive arthritis such as inflammation of the sacroiliac joints in the lower back. They can also help rule out other causes of joint pain. X-rays often do not pick up abnormalities until later in the course of reactive arthritis.
What is MIS? Multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS) can affect children (MIS-C) and adults (MIS-A). MIS is a rare but serious condition associated with COVID-19 in which different body parts become inflamed, including the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes, or gastrointestinal organs.
However, the virus could influence the environment, which can disrupt the normal function of the osteoarticular system. Although knowledge on cartilage and synovium is lacking, bone demineralization and joint pain point to an early OA-like phenotype.
The results also emphasize that among individuals with preexisting autoimmune conditions, COVID-19 increased the risk of developing another autoimmune disease by 23%.
Walking is recommended for people with arthritis as it's low impact, helps to keep the joints flexible, helps bone health and reduces the risk of osteoporosis. If you do experience pain or you're very stiff afterwards try doing a bit less, factor in more rest and check in with your GP, if you need to.
There is no cure for reactive arthritis. Medical care aims to manage the symptoms until you get better. Treatment may include: antibiotics – to destroy the bacteria that caused the initial infection.
Clinical symptoms can vary and include fatigue, brain fog, and dizziness, and last for months or years after a person has COVID-19. The research team, funded by the National Institutes of Health, also found that long COVID was more common and severe in study participants infected before the 2021 Omicron variant.
It revealed that after a mean period of 7.3 months after discharge, 40.8% and 42.5% of the patients reported one or two symptoms and three or more post-COVID symptoms, respectively, of which headache, fatigue, and respiratory symptoms were the most common symptoms reported [21].
Most viral arthritis disappears within several days or weeks when the virus-related disease goes away.
Reactive arthritis occurs most frequently in adults between the ages of 20 and 40. Sex. Women and men are equally likely to develop reactive arthritis in response to foodborne infections. However, men are more likely than are women to develop reactive arthritis in response to sexually transmitted bacteria.
Lupus and Scleroderma
The autoimmune diseases systemic lupus erythematosus and scleroderma are two separate conditions but often present with joint involvement that mimics rheumatoid arthritis.
Most children who catch the COVID-19 virus have only a mild illness. But in children with MIS-C , after infection with the COVID-19 virus, the blood vessels, digestive system, skin or eyes become swollen and irritated. MIS-C is rare. It most often happens within 2 months after having COVID-19 .