COVID-19-Induced Myopathy and Diaphragmatic Weakness: A Case Report

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a respiratory illness caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus that can induce myopathy, which can evolve into potentially life-threatening muscle weakness, including diaphragmatic paralysis. We present a case report of a 57-year-old female treated in the medical ICU for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) triggered by active COVID-19 infection, who subsequently developed worsening respiratory weakness from underlying COVID-19 myopathy manifesting as respiratory muscle weakness. Our patient's muscle biopsy highlights the development of muscle atrophy without evidence of inflammatory myopathy, making the presence of pre-existing autoimmune myopathy unlikely. While literature cites different biochemical etiologies for the development of myopathy, the exact mechanism behind this phenomenon is not yet defined.