COVID-19 and chest pain: what to know

A sore chest wall can follow frequent coughing or strained muscles and may be worse when you move, press the area, or take a deep breath. Irritation in the lungs or inflammation around the heart can also cause pain after a viral infection. Chest discomfort may instead relate to pneumonia, acid reflux, gastritis, a peptic ulcer, panic disorder, or shingles. Angina and pulmonary embolism are less common but serious possibilities. The description, timing, triggers, breathing, and personal health history help a clinician assess the cause.

Stop strenuous activity while chest pain is unexplained and note whether it changes with breathing, movement, meals, or exertion. Rest upright if lying flat worsens discomfort, drink fluids, and manage coughing as advised. Do not use someone else’s heart or breathing medicine. Arrange same-day medical advice for new pain, pain after recovery, or symptoms that recur with exertion, even if the pain settles.

Call emergency services for pressure or tightness that does not settle, pain spreading to the arm, back, neck, or jaw, severe breathlessness, fainting, sweating with nausea, coughing blood, a very fast heartbeat, or sudden sharp pain with breathing. Get urgent help for new confusion or blue or grey lips. These warning signs need action based on their severity, not on whether fever is present.

Could this be chest-wall pain, lung inflammation, reflux, or another cause? Do I need an examination, heart tracing, or imaging? Which activities should I avoid? What change means I should call emergency services?