Experts have warned that red rash and unexplained marks on the skin can also be signs of COVID-19. Data from Italy indicates that one in five people hospitalized with COVID-19 may develop rashes or may experience changes to the skin.
There are cases wherein a rash could be the first or only sign of infection. According to the NHS, the main symptoms of the coronavirus are a new and continuous cough and a high temperature. But experts have estimated that eight out of ten people infected may experience mild illness or show no symptoms of the illness at all. As cases rise, more symptoms have been linked to the virus.
New symptom?
According to the World Health Organization, diarrhea, a sore throat, aches, and pains can indicate infection. In the UK, nose, ear and throat specialists have warned that a loss of smell, known as anosmia, and loss of taste could be a symptom of coronavirus. There are a growing number of reports of infected patients who have developed rashes and health experts are keen to establish whether the virus is the cause of it.
Dr. Veronique Bataille, an NHS consultant dermatologist said that he have seen a few patients who do not normally suffer from eczema or allergies who have a sudden, odd rash. After two or three days, the patients developed typical COVID-19 symptoms. For some patients, a rash may be the only symptom that they get. Health experts ask the public to look out for this and other possible symptoms in members of their household.
Rashes are linked to viruses
A study was done on 88 infected patients at the Lecco Hospital in Lombardy and researchers found 20% of the patients experienced changes to their skin. None of the patients had taken drugs that could have triggered the rash or caused the reaction. Study shows that 8 out of 18 patients who noticed the red patches on their skin did so at the onset of their coronavirus symptoms.
Aside from rashes, doctors also reported chilblains or red patches on toes and fingers that are caused by cold temperatures. According to Professor Hywel Williams, the co-director of the center of evidence-based dermatology at the University of Nottingham, the skin is the largest organ in the body and it is visible, so if a patient is very unwell and when the lungs are sick, it is not surprising that the skin reacts in some way in about a fifth of cases.
It is common for any virus to trigger skin rashes. However, the rashes detected in COVID-19 patients seem to vary in appearance. Scientists do not yet fully understand why these rashes happen but it is thought it could be a side effect of the immune system trying to bring the infection under control.
There is more research that needs to be done in order to determine if the skin conditions are definitely linked to COVID-19. The American Academy of Dermatology is gathering data from doctors around the world. If there is any link proven, it might be an important development in controlling the disease as health experts believe that skin rashes could help identify those who may be infected with the virus.
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