Myalgia may not be associated with severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)

Author: Giuseppe Lippi
Publication Type:Letter
Keywords: COVID-19
From: World Journal of Emergency Medicine 2020;11(3):193-194
CountryChina
Language:English
Abstract: A recent study based on the use of experimental artificial intelligence (AI) tool showed 70%–80% accuracy in predicting development of severe disease in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) based on predictive parameters alanine aminotransferase (ALT), myalgia and hemoglobin, whilst only 5 of 53 patients developed acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), 2 of whom reporting myalgia.[1] It is commonly advocated that myalgia may reflect generalized inflammation and cytokine response.[1] Multiple studies showed that myalgia is a common symptom at onset of COVID-19, seen in up to 36% of such patients.[2] Therefore, in this short article we aim to further assess whether myalgia may be a reliable predictor of severe COVID-19 disease.