Many fans have reflected on the highs and lows of Ellen DeGeneres’ career as her talk show comes to an end after 19 seasons. Recently, the 64-year-old, who had contracted COVID-19 during the height of the pandemic, revealed that she had been experiencing “excruciating” back pain.

After completing the Ellen DeGeneres Campus for the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund in Rwanda, DeGeneres chose to step away from the spotlight amid allegations that her show had a toxic workplace environment, deciding instead to focus more on her passion for animal conservation.

However, the actress recently tested positive for COVID-19 again, and in a social media update, she shared her surprise at learning that back pain could be a symptom of the illness.

She confirmed that she had been following the “right precautions” when she contracted the virus in December 2020. A week later, DeGeneres updated her followers, saying she was “100%” recovered and discussed a detail about the illness that doctors “don’t tell you.”

In a conversation with “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” DeGeneres stated, “I feel great.” She then explained, “They don’t tell you that you’d have excruciating back pain. Until I talked to a few other people, I didn’t know that was a symptom.”

“Who would have guessed?” she pondered. “How so? I have pain in my back.”

At the time when COVID-19 first emerged, research on symptoms was limited, and back pain wasn’t officially recognized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as a symptom. However, “muscle or body aches” was listed as a possible symptom.

Other early COVID symptoms included fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, headache, sore throat, nasal congestion or runny nose, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

The NHS, however, has provided some insights into the high prevalence of back pain and other muscle and joint issues linked to the virus. According to the NHS website, “Many patients will have had some aches and pains before becoming unwell with COVID. It’s possible that the illness has either brought these issues back or made them worse.” This is partly due to the fact that regular exercise is important for muscle and joint health.

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“Those who have COVID-19 are often less active than usual, which can result in muscle weakness, stiffness, aches, and pains,” the NHS explains. “People may have difficulty standing, walking upstairs, holding objects, or raising their arms above their heads due to weak muscles.” Back pain and shoulder aches have been common symptoms reported worldwide as COVID-19 spread.

The rise in remote work during the pandemic also contributed to increased back pain, as people spent more time sitting at home and less time moving around. A study in Malta of 388 people found that while 30% of participants had chronic back pain before COVID-19, 49% reported back pain after the pandemic began, with many of them never having experienced it before.

It’s important to note that back pain alone does not necessarily indicate COVID-19. There are many potential causes of back discomfort, and if accompanied by symptoms like fever, coughing, sneezing, or nasal congestion, it could signal other illnesses such as the flu, which is more common in the UK during the winter months.

Additionally, back pain can be a symptom of chest inflammation or pneumonia.