Doctors: Pain in shoulder may be a sign of coronavirus

A painful shoulder could be a sign of Covid-19, doctors believe.

There are only three symptoms recognised by the Scottish and UK Governments – a high temperature, a new, continuous cough and loss of taste or smell.

However, scientists have still to fully unpick how the virus impacts on patients, and doctors suggested a painful shoulder might be a symptom after TV presenter Kate Garraway revealed her husband Derek Draper suffered shoulder pain before becoming seriously ill.

Frances Williams, professor of genomic epidemiology at King’s College Hospital, London, has been researching the growing number of symptoms reported by patients.

She said: “Shoulder pain as a symptom is possible as the virus is known to cause blood clots and a pulmonary (lung) blood clot can have shoulder pain as a symptom.

“The same nerves which supply the lungs also supply or feed the shoulders. People with Covid also experience muscle aches in the way the flu can cause them. This can then occur as a painful shoulder.”

Dr Shond Laha, an ICU consultant, said: “It could signal blood clots at the heart as the nerves which supply the heart also feed the shoulder. Anyone experiencing this should seek medical advice. We have seen blood clots in patients in ICU.”

Last week Good Morning Britain presenter Kate told how her husband began feeling unwell towards the end of March. Two months, on he remains seriously ill in hospital.