NECK pain could be a sign of a rare complication of coronavirus, doctors have discovered
Medics in Italy have found that Covid-19 may trigger an inflammatory condition known as subacute thyroiditis.
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The NHS say the disorder is a painful swelling of the thyroid gland thought to be triggered by a viral infection, such as mumps or the flu.
And subacute (De Quervain’s) thyroiditis usually causes fever and pain in the neck, jaw or ear.
Doctors at the University Hospital of Pisa in Pisa, Italy, made the discovery while treating an 18-year-old woman who was infected with Covid-19 after catching the virus from her father.
She completely recovered from Covid-19, testing negative a few days later, but started experiencing some additional symptoms.
Inflammatory reaction
The young woman had neck and thyroid pain, fever and an increased heart rate.
She was sent back to the hospital, where she was diagnosed with subacute thyroiditis.
Subacute thyroiditis may be caused by a viral infection or a post-viral inflammatory reaction, and many viruses have been linked to the disease.
“We reported the first case of subacute thyroiditis after SARS-CoV-2 infection,” said Dr Francesco Latrofa, who treated the woman.
“Physicians should be alerted about the possibility of this additional clinical manifestation related to Covid-19.”
Sars-CoV-2 may be considered accountable for the onset of subacute thyroiditis
Dr Francesco Latrofa
The woman returned to the hospital one month after her illness where medics found she had recovered and had normal thyroid functioning.
“Because of the chronological association, SARS-CoV-2 may be considered accountable for the onset of subacute thyroiditis,” Dr Latrofa wrote in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland in the neck which produces hormones that control the body’s growth and metabolism.
These hormones affect processes such as heart rate and body temperature, and convert food into energy to keep the body going.
What is subacute thyroiditis?
De Quervain’s (subacute) thyroiditis is a painful swelling of the thyroid gland thought to be triggered by a viral infection, such as mumps or the flu.
It’s most commonly seen in women aged 20 to 50.
It usually causes fever and pain in the neck, jaw or ear. The thyroid gland can also release too much thyroid hormone into the blood (thyrotoxicosis), leading to symptoms of an overactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism), such as anxiety, insomnia and heart palpitations.
These symptoms settle after a few days. Symptoms of an underactive thyroid gland often follow, lasting weeks or months, before the gland recovers completely.
However, if symptoms continue to be severe, the thyroid swelling is one-sided (unilateral), and you continue to have a fever and feel unwell, then you may have infectious thyroiditis.
Occasionally, the condition may recur or the low thyroid hormone levels may be permanent, meaning you’ll need long-term thyroid hormone replacement medication.
Source: NHS
There are several different types of thyroiditis, however, subacute thyroiditis is most commonly seen in women aged 20 to 50, according to the NHS.
The illness can also see the thyroid gland release too much thyroid hormone into the blood (thyrotoxicosis), leading to symptoms of an overactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism), such as anxiety, insomnia and heart palpitations.
The NHS says the main symptoms of coronavirus are a high temperature, a new, continuous cough and a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste.
Loss of taste and smell were added to the NHS official coronavirus symptoms list earlier this week.
Other mild symptoms
However, there are also number of other mild symptoms which have been experienced by some patients.
A study, published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, suggests people might experience digestive issues, such as diarrhoea, when they are infected with coronavirus.
Some people may experience brain fog, also known as mental fatigue, as another symptom of coronavirus.
It’s not been officially looked into as a symptom but it’s another indicator that those who have experienced the illness have reported experiencing.
And, according to a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association, up to 44 per cent of those hospitalised with Covid-19 reported exhaustion and fatigue.
Those who develop minor symptoms such as a high temperature or continuous cough should self-isolate for seven days.
If you live with others, you should also stay at home for 14 days from the day the first person started showing symptoms.
Anyone with suspected coronavirus who becomes seriously ill should call 111 and in a medical emergency always call 999.
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