COVID-19 Masked by Pyogenic Lumbar Discitis and Bacteremia: A Case Report.

Case: A 65-year-old man experienced backache, and 9 days later, he developed cellulitis in his left foot. On the 20th day, his body temperature was 37°C, and he had intermittent and shallow cough. On the 29th day, he was diagnosed with pyogenic lumbar discitis and bacteremia. Computed tomography examinations showed no evidence of pneumonia, but his cough persisted, and an elevated d-dimer level was observed. Finally, he tested positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Conclusions: This case shows possible associations among COVID-19, venous thrombosis, cellulitis, and bacteremia. Other infections may coexist with COVID-19 and mask it.