“Covid toe” is a rash, very similar in appearance to chilblains. It has been noted on patients’ feet even when no other symptoms of Covid-19 are being manifested. This rash appears as asymmetrical chilblain type lesions around the hands and feet. It is often found in younger patients and these lesions can be itchy and painful. In extremely rare cases - approximately 6% - there can be Livido or necrosis.
“Covid toe” is thought to be a result of restricted blood circulation. Dr Lindy Fox who practices at the University of California, San Francisco, was suddenly inundated with patients suffering from these toe problems. A lot of these people had never suffered from chilblains in the past. Other doctors elsewhere have also had an increase in patients suffering from these lesions. Some physicians are now insisting that “Covid toe” should be a reason in itself to test for Covid-19.
As the majority of cases worldwide have so far presented in children and young adults, some professionals are postulating that “Covid toe” may be a healthy immune response as the body attempts too rid itself of the coronavirus. Fortunately it has been noted that most of the patients exhibiting this condition are getting better by themselves, so “Covid toe” should not automatically be regarded as a dangerous symptom if it presents, as it can follow a benign clinical outcome and resolve without treatment.
Some patients with this problem have tested negative for the coronavirus. This may be because they really are chilblains and have nothing whatsoever to do with Covid-19. This could be due to staying at home and walking around barefoot more than usual during lockdown. Alternatively they could be a preventative immune reaction that occurs before the virus actually takes a full hold.
Another possibility is that sometimes when patients actually test positive, the lesions may be an epiphenomenon. In other words, they are symptoms that accompany the disease without being causally related to it.
So currently considerable mystery surrounds the manifestation of “Covid toe”. We still don’t know if it will be possible or not to draw a definitive correlation from studying the condition as a way of determining how mild or severe the disease is within the patient’s body.
“Covid toe” is thought to be a result of restricted blood circulation. Dr Lindy Fox who practices at the University of California, San Francisco, was suddenly inundated with patients suffering from these toe problems. A lot of these people had never suffered from chilblains in the past. Other doctors elsewhere have also had an increase in patients suffering from these lesions. Some physicians are now insisting that “Covid toe” should be a reason in itself to test for Covid-19.
As the majority of cases worldwide have so far presented in children and young adults, some professionals are postulating that “Covid toe” may be a healthy immune response as the body attempts too rid itself of the coronavirus. Fortunately it has been noted that most of the patients exhibiting this condition are getting better by themselves, so “Covid toe” should not automatically be regarded as a dangerous symptom if it presents, as it can follow a benign clinical outcome and resolve without treatment.
Some patients with this problem have tested negative for the coronavirus. This may be because they really are chilblains and have nothing whatsoever to do with Covid-19. This could be due to staying at home and walking around barefoot more than usual during lockdown. Alternatively they could be a preventative immune reaction that occurs before the virus actually takes a full hold.
Another possibility is that sometimes when patients actually test positive, the lesions may be an epiphenomenon. In other words, they are symptoms that accompany the disease without being causally related to it.
So currently considerable mystery surrounds the manifestation of “Covid toe”. We still don’t know if it will be possible or not to draw a definitive correlation from studying the condition as a way of determining how mild or severe the disease is within the patient’s body.
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