Stores and restaurants may be opening up again, but the fight against the coronavirus isn’t over yet. Doctors and researchers around the world are still trying to figure out how the virus affects individuals, and they’ve found some patterns. Many people reporting Covid-19 symptoms often present what is now called the Coronavirus Rash across different parts of their bodies. One common place people report this rash is on their feet, which experts are calling Coronavirus Toes. But does this mean that anyone with a rash automatically has Covid-19? Probably not, but it is important to get checked and make sure regardless because these types of skin problems are usually the result of a virus.
Coronavirus Toes, or as they’re scientifically called, pernio lesions, appear as red, blistery swelling on and in-between the toes. In medical terms, these blisters are called ‘vesicular eruptions’, and only a few other diseases cause them. As one expert said: “COVID is now on that list… so since that list is so short, it makes the likelihood of it being COVID in this day and age with COVID everywhere higher if you see that rash.” However, one shouldn’t jump to conclusions without getting tested first. According to dermatologist at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Dr. Esther Freeman, everyone is still trying to learn about this virus:
“Our knowledge is really continuing to evolve about the timing of these different skin manifestations because it’s complicated,” she said. “Not everyone seems to be developing them at the exact same time in the disease course, so I think we’re still learning a lot.”
The Coronavirus Rash
The redness doesn’t stop at the toes, and it can appear in different parts of your body [ see photos here ]. California dermatologist Dr. Randy Jacobs said he’s seen patients with transient livedo reticularis. This is a red “net-like” texture that forms on the skin, and those who have had this have also tested positive for COVID-19. The president of the Australasian College of Dermatologists, Dr. David Francis explained that these effects could affect as much as 20% of those who have the virus. But he also agrees that there must be further analysis to really understand how these effects manifest and who is affected.
The American Academy of Dermatology has also been studying these types of rashes from a national registry. Healthcare workers submit profiles of their patients with the virus along with all their other symptoms. Currently the organization has over 600 entries from all around the world, and the results show many kinds of effects on skin. But Dr. Freeman agrees with Dr. Francis in that it’s hard to take any of this information at face value:
“Even if we see a certain proportion [of skin symptoms] in the registry, it doesn’t mean that that’s actually the proportion of skin filings that people are seeing,” she said. “It’s just what people are reporting to us or what people are finding notable that they are choosing to report, rather than truly a representative sample of an entire population.”
Tips for Staying Safe
Right now is a critical time to take care of our health as well as the health of the vulnerable people in our communities. While there is currently no vaccine to prevent a CoronaVirus Rash, we can still avoid getting infected. Here is a list of some very simple steps we can take to make sure we don’t catch or spread the virus:
· Stay away from people who are sick
It has been proven that those who are infected don’t necessarily show symptoms, but many also do. If you see someone coughing or sneezing it’s best to stay as far from them as possible since the virus travels through micro-sized droplets.
· If YOU are sick, stay home!
It is a well-known fact that many countries currently suffer from a lack of resources to test the entire population. For this reason, you may or may not have gotten tested yourself. If you haven’t been tested and begin showing symptoms such as cough or fever you best stay home to prevent infecting others.
· Don’t touch your face
It’s true that we can’t know how many germs gather on our hands and underneath our fingernails during the course of a day. Since we also don’t pay attention to everything we touch, we should make sure to wash our hands before we even think about touching our faces. The virus can travel through our eyes, mouth, nose, and ears, so we should adopt a ‘hands-off’ policy toward ourselves.
Long Road Ahead
Among the many experts looking into these mysterious rashes is Dr. Joanna Harp from the Weill Cornell Medicine and New York Presbyterian Hospital. She’s been comparing findings in skin symptoms for COVID-19 positive patients and concluded that there were several different types. “The main finding we have noted is a pattern of lacy, red-purple rashes, some with skin necrosis, on the arms, legs, and buttocks in critically-ill COVID-19 patients,” she said. “ The skin may be a window into how differently patients’ immune systems can react when confronted with the virus.”
The most important thing now is to stay safe and get tested if we feel symptoms. People with questions should visit a professional like Orlando’s Derrow Dermatology clinic for a consultation in Florida. However there are great options to see a dermatologist nationwide and these experts can definitely tell you if you have a possible infection.
Cited Sourced: https://www.health.gov.au/news/health-alerts/novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov-health-alert/what-you-need-to-know-about-coronavirus-covid-19