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Body aches are one of the most frequent signs of a COVID-infection. You can experience them at various locations of the body, but they mostly commonly appear in the head and the neck region, or in the limbs. Body aches can go away on their own, but they can often linger, making it one of the most frequent symptoms to persist after COVID-19.

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Body aches are a frequent symptom of COVID, and are often felt with other symptoms such as fatigue, cough, and headaches. This pain can go together with fever, but the whole body can also ache without fever. You can experience these body aches throughout the whole body in general, or they can occur in specific places. They are mainly situated in the head, the neck, and the limbs. Further research is needed to understand the association between COVID-19 and these locations. 

Body aches with COVID feel like a dull, aching sensation in your muscles. You can feel as if your mobility is limited due to the pain. The pain can range from mild to severe, and can occur if you already had body aches before the infection, or if you didn’t. 

The cause of these body aches can be found in the ACE2 receptors that can be found in various cells of the muscles. The coronavirus enters the cells through these receptors, where it can cause direct damage. Once the coronavirus enters these cells, your immune system will react. The macrophages of the immune system are cells that are designed to locate and destroy harmful organisms such as the coronavirus. These macrophages are known to produce proinflammatory cytokines that cause an inflammation of the tissue. Because of this inflammation, you can experience pain under the form of body aches. ref1 ref2 ref3

Body aches can also occur as a side-effect after COVID-vaccination. The severity of this side-effect can vary from person to person, and should go away in a few days. Body aches as a side-effect can be experienced after both the primary shots or the booster shots. ref4

The body aches are usually an early symptom of infection with the coronavirus. In many cases they will go away on their own after a few days or weeks. 

There is however a considerable amount of people that still experience body aches after COVID. If this is the case, then you might be suffering from long-COVID, which is a situation in which the symptoms of a COVID-infection persist after the infection has cleared. There are some studies that suggest that the body aches last about 45 days on average. Studies suggest that the reason behind this is an inflammation of the nervous system, caused by the immune system as a reaction to the coronavirus. This can cause chronic pain in some cases, which may affect your quality of life. As these muscle aches often last for a long time, pain control and monitoring is important. ref1

Body aches are a very general symptom and can also be caused by many other things apart from COVID. Some other causes of body aches include: ref5 ref6 ref7

Infection with a virus such as the common cold, the flu and the coronavirus

To be sure of the cause of your body aches, it’s important to keep any other symptoms that you may be experiencing in mind. If you’re in doubt, a COVID test can help determine whether or not you’ve been infected with the coronavirus. If you are, then you should isolate, rest, and seek COVID treatment. If your test points out that you haven’t been infected with the coronavirus, then you should consult with your doctor to look at other possible causes of your body aches.

If you have tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 5 days, find out if you may be eligible for an authorized COVID-19 antiviral treatment or download the Ada app to find out what else could cause your symptoms.

Body aches from COVID usually go away on their own without any extra treatment. Drinking plenty of fluids and resting while your immune system fights the infection is usually the best option. If you’re looking to relieve your pain, you can take ibuprofen or paracetamol. If the pain persists after the infection, then it’s recommended to consult with your doctor for monitoring and treatment, as you may be experiencing symptoms of long-COVID.

Body aches often present themselves at the onset of a COVID infection. They often go away on their own after a few days or weeks, but in other cases they can linger on after the infection has cleared. If you’re experiencing persistent body aches after a COVID-infection, then you should consult with your doctor to see which treatment strategy would be beneficial for you.

Tülay S. et al. (2021). Pain symptoms in COVID-19. Accessed on August 30, 2022.

Bakilan F. et al. (2021). Musculoskeletal symptoms and related factors in postacute COVID-19 patients. Accessed on August 30, 2022. 

Rarani F. et al. (2022). Cytokines and microRNAs in SARS-CoV-2: What do we know? Accessed on August 30, 2022.

CDC (2022). Possible side effects. Accessed on August 30, 2022.

Roicke H. et al. (2020). Non-inflammatory muscle pain. Accessed on August 30, 2022.

CDC (2022). Lupus. Accessed on August 30, 2022.

CDC (2020). Epstein-Barr virus and infectious mononucleosis. Accessed on August 30, 2022.

NHS (2019). Rheumatoid arthritis. Accessed on August 30, 2022.

Written by Ada’s Medical Knowledge Team

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