We continue with our review of the early warning signs of a COVID-19 infection. This is vital information for two extremely important reasons. In the first instance, the wisest treatment for the virus is early medical attention. And in the second instance, respiratory disease may only follow later. What follows is not medical advice. We were just curious to know whether muscle pain is a good indicator for COVID-19.
Two Ways Muscle Pain Can Be a Good Indicator for COVID-19
Discomfort from a viral infection has two different personas. The first is the result of the pathology itself. The second, according to The Ladders website is a by-product of our immune system’s efforts to fight it. In the case of body muscle pain, we do know 15% of the first 56,000 Chinese patients complained of it.
There’s no single straight answer to whether muscle pain is a good indicator for COVID-19 virus, or not. We can get muscle pain simply from over-exercising. By the same token we can have the disease, yet have a normal temperature. However, if we do have confirmed COVID-19 then our muscle pain may be down to interleukins.
A Lay Person’s Guide to Interleukin’s Role in Immunity
Interleukins are secreted signal molecules, and proteins from body cells. Our immunity system needs them to perform properly. There are 15 different types of interleukins, although Interleukin 6 is of particular interest. That’s because it is active in inflammation, yet it also has an anti-inflammatory role.
Interleukin’s inflammatory role comes to the fore when we over-exercise, and strain muscles for example. It then performs a housekeeping function by clearing away damaged cells. From the above it appears likely COVID-19 muscle pains are caused by immune cells releasing infection fighting proteins, and not the inflammation itself.
Muscle pain may be a good indicator of COVID-19 immune systems behaving as they should. However, we should still seek professional medical advice. Because the pain may be the outward sign of a deeper infection, and early treatment is best.
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Preview Image: Coronavirus Warfare
