The possible onset of fibromyalgia following acute COVID-19 infection

Abstract

Introduction The exact pathogenesis of fibromyalgia (FM) syndrome is unclear. However, various infectious have been implicated with the development of FM after their acute phase. We aimed to investigate the incidence of FM syndrome among convalesced individuals following hospitalization for Acute Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19). Methods We performed a cross-sectional study on patients who were discharged after COVID-19 hospitalization from the Sheba Medical Center, Israel, between July 2020 to November 2020. A phone interview was performed consisting of the following questionnaires: the Fibromyalgia Survey Diagnostic Criteria Questionnaire, Sense of Coherence Questionnaire to evaluate resilience, and the Subjective Traumatic Outlook Questionnaire to assess the associated psychological aspects of the trauma. The incidence of post-COVID FM was calculated and regression models were performed to identify predictors. Results The study population consisted of 198 eligible patients who completed the phone interview. The median age was 64 (52–72) and 37% were women. The median follow-up was 5.2 months (IQR 4.4–5.8). The incidence of FM was 15% (30 patients) and 87% (172 patients) had at least one FM-related symptom. Female gender was significantly associated with post-COVID FM (OR 3.65, p = 0.002). In addition, high median Subjective Traumatic Outlook scores and low median Sense of Coherence scores were both significantly associated with post-COVID FM (OR 1.19, p<0.001 and OR 0.92, p<0.001, respectively). Conclusions FM is highly prevalent among COVID-19 convalescent patients. Our finding suggests that a significant subjective traumatic experience and a low resilience are highly associated with post-COVID FM.

A Cross-Sectional Study of Fibromyalgia and Post-acute COVID-19 Syndrome (PACS): Could There Be a Relationship?

“…Moreover, our results have shown that neither hospitalization nor the need for supplemental oxygen were significantly correlated with the development of fibromyalgia. This was concordant with the results of Savin et al [ 20 ]. However, Ursini et al stated that there was a significantly higher prevalence of fibromyalgia among those who required oxygen supplementation during their COVID-19 infection [ 14 ].…”

“…This is in accordance with the results of Savin et al, as they reported that 15% of their included sample developed fibromyalgia after being discharged following recovery from COVID-19 infection [20]. The 5% difference between the two studies could be explained by the difference in data collection methods, as we utilized a web-based questionnaire while Savin et al collected patients' responses via an interview [20]. In our study, female gender was found to be an independent risk factor for developing fibromyalgia.…”

“…In our study, female gender was found to be an independent risk factor for developing fibromyalgia. This finding is consistent with many studies, including Savin et al [19][20][21]. On the contrary, however, Ursini et al found that male gender is independently associated with a 10-fold increase risk of developing fibromyalgia [14].…”

Applying Lessons From Rheumatology to Better Understand Long COVID

“…Three-quarters of these patients were women, and their mean age was 45 years. Of 200 hospitalized patients 5 months after SARS-CoV-2 infection, 15% met FM diagnostic criteria, and 87% had at least one FM-related symptom, including fatigue in 57%, unrefreshing sleep in 56%, cognitive disturbances in 54%, and muscle or joint pain in 42% (12).…”

Impacto Da Pandemia Da Covid-19 No Aumento Da Incidência Da Síndrome De Fibromialgia

“…A experiência da dor em pacientes portadores de FM pode variar conforme o estado emocional do indivíduo, das condições imunológicas e comorbidades associadas, especialmente aquelas relacionadas a distúrbios metabólicos (hipertensão e diabetes)(RIVERA, 2021).A pandemia da COVID-19, causada pelo vírus da Síndrome Respiratória Aguda Grave 2 (SARS-COV-2) no início de 2020, foi marcada por um longo período de anseio, aflições e estresse gerado, principalmente, pelo medo da doença até então desconhecida e pelo isolamento social. Entre as complicações mais comuns a longo prazo, trata-se do desenvolvimento de sintomas como o comprometimento cognitivo, alterações do humor e do sono, cefaleia, distúrbios sensoriais (olfato e paladar afetados), ansiedade e depressão(SAVIN, 2023). A evolução do quadro clínico para além da fase aguda da doença consiste nos sintomas pós-COVID19, normalmente, as manifestações secundárias costumam estar associadas à maior gravidade da infecção.…”