The Covid-19 virus is a bit like that person you met on Tinder.
After a few dates, you think you have them all figured out, then two months later you find out they don’t watch Game of Thrones, which is always a dealbreaker.
You let it go, but then six months later you find out that they think the Earth is flat, and you wonder what else you don’t know about this mysterious person.
Similarly, we think we know a lot about the coronavirus, but we’ve barely scratched the surface.
COVID-19 Could Cause Chicken-Pox-Like Sores on Feet of Young People In The Early Days of Infection
People infected with Covid-19 might have another symptom to look out for: purple, swollen toes that look as if they’ve been frostbitten.
Called “Covid Toes”, the sores, which are similar to chickenpox, have been seen in coronavirus patients in Spain, Italy, France, Thailand, and now the United States.
According to USA Today, the condition has been described as a rash resembling Dengue or a type of Transient Livedo Reticularis, a temporary skin condition with a blotchy, net-like pattern.
A telltale sign of #COVID19: pernio / pseudo-chilblains
Painful, swollen and erythematous tips of toes (resembling frostbite).#DermTwitter #IDTwitter pic.twitter.com/4zplwrUiQ2
— Ilan Schwartz MD PhD (@GermHunterMD) April 14, 2020
Covid Toes seems to be more prevalent in younger patients, especially children and adolescents, though they can also appear on adults.
Many of them also appear to be asymptomatic, reported Business Insider.
Possible Causes
But why would a respiratory illness cause sores on one’s feet?
Well, there are a few main theories.
Some medical experts believe that the sores may be showing up because the virus causes general inflammation in the body.
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Another theory is that the virus may be causing vasculitis, where the walls of the blood vessels become inflamed.
A third possibility is that the lesions may be caused by blood clots in vessels in the skin, as many doctors are seeing blood clots as a complication of the illness.
Lack of Hard Evidence
However, since the condition has only recently been noticed in patients, there is no concrete evidence proving that it actually is a symptom of Covid-19.
Reader: But my uncle said it’s true on WhatsApp
Well, he may be wrong.
Reader: *gasps*
The World Health Organization (WHO) or the Centers for Disease Control have yet to recognize these foot sores as a symptom of Covid-19.
So, we can’t say for sure that it is a symptom, because more information is needed.
However, what’s interesting is that while doctors have seen these frostbite-like symptoms for other reasons, especially during the winter or in areas with cold climates, it’s now happening in countries like Spain and Italy that have warmer climates.
Plus, Dr Lindy Fox, a professor of dermatology at the University of California at San Francisco, says that “an astonishing number” of patients have these symptoms.
So, it’s certainly something to look into.
Reader: What if my toes are greyish, feet grimy, and my nails long?
Well, that just means that you haven’t showered for the last three weeks and forgot all about personal grooming during the circuit breaker.
Reader: Phew, that’s a relief.
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Recovered Patients May Not Be Immune
In other, slightly more scary news, WHO warned yesterday that those recovering from Covid-19 may not be immune to reinfection.
This warning came as some governments look to introduce measures such as “immunity passports” or documents for those who have recovered as one way to get people back to work after lockdown restrictions are lifted.
But WHO thinks this may be risky.
“There is currently no evidence that people who have recovered from Covid-19 and have antibodies are protected from a second infection,” WHO said.
“People who assume that they are immune to a second infection because they have received a positive test result may ignore public health advice.”
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The thing about Covid-19 is that it’s still a relatively young disease, so scientists are discovering more and more about it every day.
Yesterday, Singapore experienced a respite with 618 new cases, a significant drop from previous days.
The figure for new cases in the community also dropped to just nine.
Let’s hope the situation continues to improve.