Have a patient with body aches with or without URI symptoms? Is the patient otherwise not very ill outside of mild-moderate discomfort and symptoms? Then do a rapid COVID test.
I have worked urgent care for almost a decade now and body aches has predominately been the “symptom” of influenza that would trigger me to order an influenza test, but the game has now changed with COVID.
I would estimate that 95% of patients that I have tested for COVID who have tested positive have had body aches as one of their main symptoms. Therefore, during this cough and cold season you need to ensure you are testing patients who have body aches for COVID and influenza as both have overlapping symptoms.
Obviously, use your clinical judgement as body aches is a non-specific symptom of any type of infection, therefore ensure the patient has no other sources present!
2 Responses
I have had the same experience. The most common complaint I hear from COVID + patients is “I feel like I was hit by a bus” or something similar, all along the lines of muscle aches. Also heaviness to the chest, like there is a weight on their chest. Thank you for sharing.
Yep! Just diffuse body aches. Not necessarily joint pain, but myalgia like you describe.