Researchers believe that they can clarify why some people who catch Covid progress chilblain-like lesions on their toes and even on singers and this is names as the Covid toe condition.
Covid toe usually seems to be a side effect of the human body swapping into attack mode to fight off the Covid virus.
The scientists say they have pointed out the parts of the immune system that looks to be involved.
The results, in the British Journal of Dermatology, may assist with treatments to easiness the signs.
Now the question is what is Covid toe? Let’s understand in detail!
What is Covid toe?
Covid toe can happen to anyone at any age, but usually, it affects children and teenagers.
For some people this condition is painless, but the rash is awfully itchy and sore, with tender blisters and swelling.
Recently a 13 years old girl named Sofia, was hardly able to walk or wear shoes when she was affected by the Covid toe earlier this year.
In an interview with BBC Scotland, she expressed her wheelchair journey for long walks.
Most of the time the affected skin will be toe but sometimes it can be on fingers also and can make your skin purple or red. Some people develop sore raised bumps or areas of rough skin and you may find pus there so be careful!
Most of the time, they will have none of the classic Covid symptoms, such as the persistent cough, fever, and loss of change in taste and smell.
Why does this Covid toe happen?
These newest study verdicts, based on blood and skin tests, propose two parts of the immune system may be at play.
Both include contrivances the body uses to fight coronavirus.
One is an antiviral protein called type 1 interferon, and the other is a type of antibody that mistakenly attacks the person’s own cells and tissues, not just the attacking virus.
Cells lining small blood vessels providing the exaggerated areas are also convoluted, say the professional investigators from the University of Paris, France.
The researchers studied 50 people with doubted Covid toe in the spring of 2020, and 13 others with similar chilblains lesions that were not linked to Covid infections, because they happened long before the pandemic began.
They are confident the discoveries will aid patients and doctors in better understand the condition.
According to UK podiatrist Dr. Ivan Bristow, for most – like the regular chilblains are typically seen during cold spells and in people who have difficulties with circulation – the lesions frequently go away on their own.
But some may need a cure with creams and other drugs.
“The confirmation of the cause will assist to developer new treatments to manage it more effectively,” he said.
Dr. Veronique Bataille, a consultant dermatologist and spokeswoman for the British Skin Foundation, said the Covid toe was seen very often during the early phase of the pandemic but has been less shared in the current Delta variant wave.
That might be down to more people being vaccinated or having some safeguard alongside Covid from previous contagions.
“Presentations after vaccination are much rarer,” she said.
Covid-related skin problems can appear quite a while after the acute infection and in people who have no other symptoms, so the link with the virus is sometimes not made, she said.
The British Association of Dermatologists has a list of skin conditions that might be linked to Covid.
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