‘COVID toes’ may be symptom of coronavirus, especially in youth

Medical professionals created a registry to document skin conditions among coronavirus patients. About half of them have what’s been dubbed “COVID toes.”

The condition involves purple coloring and inflammation ofthe skin that looks similar to frostbite.

   

“We have had some very sick patients who have developedthis, but they tended to develop this at the same time as their othersymptoms,” said Dr. Esther Freeman, Director of Global Health Dermatology atMassachusetts General Hospital. “So, I don’t want people to panic that if theysee these toes that that means that something really bad is coming.”

Dr Freeman says the reaction could have other triggers, likespending time outside when it’s cold or lupus. If you can’t think of any otherreason your toes are turning purple, you should call your doctor.

Some patients have shown no other symptoms and testedpositive for COVID-19.

“That to me, I think is particularly concerning, becausethat’s the group of patients that might not realize that they’re putting theirfamily members at risk,” said Dr Freeman.

Dr Freeman says there are three other main skin conditionsamong coronavirus patients: measles-like rash, hives and a net-like pattern onthe legs. Those are also common among other viruses.

However, the purple toes appear unique to COVID-19. DrFreeman says mostly young adults and kids have seen this.

It’s important to note that right now, doctors still don’tknow “officially” if the virus is causing “COVID toes.”

Northwestern University shared some photos of people withthe so-called “COVID toes.”

Dr Amy Paller, a dermatologist with Northwestern Medicine,is part of a national pediatric dermatology registry collecting images acrossthe U.S. She said more testing is needed to definitely know what is causing thecondition.

“We don’t know for sure if it’s related to COVID-19, butwhen it’s so common right now during a pandemic and is occurring in otherwiseasymptomatic or mildly affected patients, it seems too much of a coincidencenot to be a manifestation of the virus for patients in their teens and 20s,”said Paller, the chair of dermatology at Northwestern University FeinbergSchool of Medicine and a pediatric dermatologist at Ann & Robert H. LurieChildren’s Hospital of Chicago.

DrPaller says she’s seen photos of about 30 cases of thecondition.

“I think it’s much more rampant than we even realize,” saidDr. Paller. “The good news is it resolves spontaneously.”

Given the shortage in testing for the virus right now, Dr.Paller recommends getting antibody testing when available to confirm theassociation in these otherwise largely healthy kids.

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