Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Sep 04, 2025 7 hours, 15 minutes ago
Medical News: Hidden Dangers of COVID-19 Beyond the Lungs
While COVID-19 is often seen as a disease that attacks the lungs, doctors are continuing to uncover its ability to damage other organs. A new medical case study led by researchers from King Abdullah University Hospital in Irbid, Jordan, Jabal Al-Zaitoon Hospital in Zarqa, Jordan, and James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough, United Kingdom, has revealed that COVID-19 can also trigger a severe condition called rhabdomyolysis, which in turn can lead to acute kidney injury. According to this
Medical News report, this complication can be life-threatening if not detected and treated quickly.
COVID-19 Triggers Muscle Breakdown and Kidney Damage
What Is Rhabdomyolysis and Why It Is Serious
Rhabdomyolysis is a dangerous condition where muscle fibers break down and release their contents into the bloodstream. These substances can overwhelm the kidneys, causing them to fail. Normally, rhabdomyolysis is linked to extreme trauma or crush injuries, but infections like influenza or HIV have also been known to trigger it. Now, growing evidence shows that COVID-19 can do the same. The study focused on two patients who developed this complication after testing positive for the coronavirus.
Case One: A Full Recovery Against the Odds
The first patient, a 58-year-old man with no prior medical conditions, arrived at the hospital suffering from muscle pain, nausea, cough, and breathing difficulties. Blood tests revealed extremely high levels of creatine phosphokinase—an enzyme that indicates muscle damage—measuring over 16,000 U/L, far above the normal range of 200 U/L. His kidneys were already under stress, but with rapid treatment using aggressive intravenous fluids, his condition improved steadily. By the eighth day, he had fully recovered and was discharged from the hospital.
Case Two: A Tragic Outcome
The second patient, a 39-year-old man with type 2 diabetes and obesity, experienced a much more severe course. He arrived at the hospital with fever, cough, muscle aches, and shortness of breath. His bloodwork also showed critically high creatine phosphokinase levels of over 7,500 U/L. Despite receiving intravenous fluids, sodium bicarbonate, and antibiotics, his condition worsened rapidly. He required intensive care, mechanical ventilation, and eventually dialysis as his kidneys stopped functioning. Unfortunately, he passed away on the ninth day due to complications from COVID-19.
Lessons From These Cases
These two cases highlight the devastating ways COVID-19 can harm the body beyond the lungs. Doctors noted that both patients had clear signs of severe muscle injury upon admission, and no other causes of rhabdomyolysis were found. This suggests that the coronavirus itself triggered the muscle breakdown. The study emphasizes that medical teams should check creatine phosphokinase levels when treating COVID-19 patients, especially those showing signs of muscle weakness or unusual fatigue. Quick detection and aggressive fluid replacement can save liv
es by preventing kidney damage.
Conclusion
The research serves as a reminder that COVID-19 is not just a respiratory illness. Its complications can spread to the muscles, kidneys, heart, and other vital organs. While one patient in the study survived with early treatment, the other tragically did not. This underlines the urgent need for hospitals worldwide to remain alert for hidden complications like rhabdomyolysis in COVID-19 patients. By identifying and treating these problems early, healthcare workers may be able to prevent kidney failure and reduce deaths.
The study findings were published in the peer reviewed journal: Cureus.
https://www.cureus.com/articles/402786-covid-19-infection-induces-rhabdomyolysis-and-acute-kidney-injury#!/
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Medical News.
Read Also:
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/covid-19-infections-and-covid-19-vaccines-can-cause-rhabdomyolysis
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/university-of-florida-researchers-warns-that-covid-19-infections-can-lead-to-rhabdomyolysis-with-extremely-elevated-creatine-kinase-levels
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/muscle-quality-decline-in-covid-19-survivors-not-tied-to-inflammation-levels-during-acute-phase
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