Ellen DeGeneres, known for her calm and humor, revealed that when she had COVID-19 in December 2020, the most shocking symptom wasn’t fever or fatigue, but severe, relentless back pain. At the time, back pain wasn’t widely recognized as a COVID symptom, and even Ellen didn’t know it could be connected.
She later described the pain as constant and overwhelming, making it difficult to sit, lie down, or rest. For someone used to being active and independent, the loss of control was both physically and emotionally unsettling.
As more people shared similar experiences, it became clear her case wasn’t unique. During the pandemic, many reported increased back and muscle pain, caused not only by lockdown lifestyles and stress, but also by the virus itself. By 2023, studies confirmed that COVID-19 could trigger long-lasting musculoskeletal pain due to inflammation, nerve involvement, and immune responses.
Ellen’s honesty helped bring attention to these lesser-known effects. Her story highlighted how early COVID messaging focused mainly on respiratory symptoms, overlooking pain and long-term complications that deeply affected quality of life.
More than a celebrity story, her experience validated people suffering from invisible symptoms and reinforced an important lesson: COVID-19 was never just a respiratory illness, and the true cost of the pandemic includes the lasting pain many continue to carry.