A recent study conducted by researchers at King’s College London and Zoe Global Ltd revealed that skin rashes could also be indicators for COVID-19. 8.8% of people who tested positive for the virus also reported having skin rashes.
“COVID-19 rashes may present in many forms and at different stages of the disease. The heterogeneous presentations, the time delay, as well as the focus on severely ill patients during the early phases of the pandemic, led to the skin being overlooked as an important target organ for COVID-19,” said Mario Falchi and his team.
“Although it is less prevalent than fever, it is more specific of COVID-19 and last longer,” researchers explained. “An increased awareness from the public and healthcare professionals regarding COVID-19 skin changes will allow more efficient identification of new and earlier clusters of the disease,” concludes the team.
New coronavirus symptoms continue to be discovered by specialists, and as it seems, itching is now one of them. It’s definitely a strange one, and doctors warn that people can miss it quite easily.
Leanne Atkin, PhD, RGN, a vascular nurse consultant and senior lecturer at the University of Huddersfield, stated that recently has been a rise in patients presenting symptoms of itching. End even more strange than that, Atkins added that itching often comes along with other unusual coronavirus symptom: COVID toes (an inflammatory COVID side effect that causes a rash on the feet). This strange side effect was first reported in an April study that can be found in the International Journal of Dermatology.
Patients with COVID toes may experience burning, itching, and tenderness, Atkin says .”It is really important that people start to recognize these early symptoms and if they notice any of them, they should be arranging for the patient to be tested for COVID-19 and considering carefully the need for referral onto vascular clinics,” she says.
Even the slightest itching sensation that one may feel on their feet could indicate you are infected with the virus, even “in the absence of any other symptoms,” Atkin added.
Atkin warns that the lack of knowledge regarding COVID symptoms is very dangerous, as patients who experience COVID toes or other types of rashes often go to normal clinics that aren’t prepared for coronavirus patients, spreading the virus into health care facilities.
“Yes, we are wearing basic PPE but this is why it is imperative for practitioners to be aware of this relatively new symptom of the virus, because, if this is actually a sign of COVID, we should be stepping up our protection for the staff and for our other patients,” Atkin says.
