Herpes, hair fall: Doctors caution on post-Covid problems
New Delhi, June 7: From reactivation of herpes infection to loss of hair, several Covid patients in recovery phase are facing one dermatological complication or another due to lowered immunity, say doctors.
Skin care experts at leading facilities in Delhi, Mumbai and other cities concurred that Coronavirus patients even after being discharged from hospitals or having finished their home quarantine period should watch out for any skin inflammation or consult a doctor immediately if “it grows uncontrollably”. Dr D.M. Mahajan, senior consultant, dermatology, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals in Delhi, said many post-Covid patients with skin complications are rushing to OPDs, fearing they have contracted mucormycosis or black fungus but people should be cautious not paranoid.
“Several Covid patients in recovery phase are facing skin complications and the most common one being reported to us are cases of herpes. In many patients with a history of herpes it is get retriggered and in others they are just contracting it afresh, both due to lowered immunity,” he said.
Infection with herpes simplex virus, commonly known as herpes, can be due to either herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) or herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2). Herpes labialis which occurs around the lip area with lesions in cluster preceded by burning pain is caused by HSV.
Herpes zoster is viral infection that occurs with reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus. It is usually a painful but self-limited dermatomal rash.
Skin experts, who are seeing post-Covid patients, said cases of herpes zoster are being reported more than herpes from HSV.
Mahajan said cases of infection from Candida fungus have also been seen among the Covid patients who are in recovery phase. It is a mould like infection and can result from excessive medication or use of steroids. This infection can cause white patches on genitalia. Candidiasis is a fungal infection caused by a yeast (a type of fungus) called Candida.
Mumbai-based dermatologist and hair transplant surgeon Dr Sonali Kohli said Covid-19 compromises the immunity of a patient leading to multifarious complications, including in skin, hair and nails.
“Though there is no clinical study to correlate the two but herpes infection is being reported in large number of Covid patients during recovery phase even a month later. Besides hair loss and nail complications are too happening with many patients,” she said.
As far as nail complications are concerned, cases of melanonychia or Beau’s lines are also being seen in such patients. Melanonychia entails whitish or brown lines on nails, she said. —