After stepping away from her long-running talk show, Ellen DeGeneres has remained mostly out of the spotlight—focusing instead on animal conservation. However, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in December 2020, DeGeneres contracted the virus and later surprised fans with an unexpected symptom: severe back pain.

Though she took all proper precautions and eventually made a full recovery, the 64-year-old comedian shared her experience on social media, saying, “What they don’t tell you is that you will have severe back pain. I had no idea that was a symptom.”

Early in the pandemic, official symptom lists from the CDC didn’t include back pain, though “muscle or body aches” were recognized. Experts now say that reduced activity during illness and prolonged sitting—especially with the rise in working from home—likely contributed to the increase in back and joint pain.

A study from Malta found that while 30% of people reported back pain before COVID-19, that number jumped to 49% after the pandemic began.

Still, back pain isn’t exclusive to COVID and can also signal other illnesses like flu or pneumonia. Ellen’s experience highlights how symptoms can vary—and how important awareness remains as health guidance evolves.