“COVID Toes” may be new symptoms of coronavirus, doctors say.

The condition is being described in children and young adults—sometimes preceding other COVID-19 symptoms.

The name “COVID toes” initially came from a press release shared on April 9, 2020 by the General Council of Official Colleges of Podiatrists in Spain after podiatrists began "registering numerous cases of sick people, mainly children and young people, who had small dermatological lesions on their feet"—sometimes in the absence of other COVID-19 symptoms; sometimes before the appearance of other symptoms. The lesions, per the council, are "purple-colored" (in whites, dark blue in the dark-skinned and typically appear around the tips of the toes. They usually heal without leaving marks on the skin.

"COVID toes" are not yet a confirmed symptom of COVID-19, but some podiatry and dermatology associations across the world have also noticed the correlation between the toe lesions and coronavirus infections.

Health.com reports that Nazanin Saedi, MD, a board-certified skin doctor at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania says it may have something to do with how the virus stimulates inflammation. "It can be a localized inflammation to the finger or toes. Or, it can be the inflammation causing microclots in the circulation,” she says. She also points out that an increase in blood clotting has been seen in those who are very ill. “They see this in asymptomatic patients but also patients who are critically ill," says Dr. Saedi.

Although right now, it's not totally clear whether the foot lesions are definitely related to COVID-19, if you notice the new symptom, or any other COVID-19-related symptoms, it's best to call your doctor regarding next steps for diagnosis and treatment.

Image credit: India Today 

Published: April 25, 2020

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