Investigation of the effects of COVID-19 on muscle skeletal pain, fatigue, and hand grip strength in pregnant woman

Abstract

Aims: Hand grip strength is an important parameter that can be measured with a cheap, effective, and simple technique that can provide information about general health status. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between hand grip strength and musculoskeletal system findings and fatigue in pregnant COVID-19 patients. The data on common symptoms, laboratory findings, vaccination rates, and smoking rates of pregnant COVID-19 patients were evaluated as secondary results in the study. Methods: The study had a cross-sectional, single-center, and retrospective case design. Demographic information, clinical findings, musculoskeletal symptoms, laboratory findings, and body temperatures of the patients were recorded. The relationship between the patient's hand grip muscle strength and the recorded data was evaluated. Myalgia severity was evaluated in kg by using the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS), physical fatigue by the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), and muscle strength by kg using a CAMRY digital hand dynamometer. Results: The negative relationship between hand grip strength, focal muscle pain, and physical fatigue in pregnant COVID-19 patients was found to be statistically significant (P=0.010 and p=0.020 for focal muscle pain and physical fatigue, respectively). In laboratory data, a positive relationship was detected with the neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and neutrophil percentage, and a negative relationship was detected with lymphocyte percentage at a statistically significant level (P=0.042, p=0.027, p=0.037 for NRL, percentage of neutrophils and percentage of lymphocytes, respectively). (Statistical significance level was accepted as p<0.05). Conclusion: We think that the evaluation of hand grip strength in pregnant women infected with COVID-19 will provide useful information for diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis.