Common skin issues due to COVID

COVID is not just a respiratory issue, it has a long term effect and has an impact on several other organs too. Not-so-long after assuming it to be an infection of the respiratory tract, health experts declared that COVID does have an impact on other body organs like heart, kidney, stomach as well.

FACEDAmong the many implications of the COVID infection, one such is associated with the skin. Skin rash is a potential sign of COVID.

BatsAwasnpa er a study published in the British Journal

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of Dermatology, which was published a year after the onset of the COVID pandemic, there is a big link between skin rash and COVID. With the study, the researchers had pointed out that since skin changes can be easily recognised, it can be used as a potential indicator of the infection. While shortness of breath, fever, fatigue, headache, diarrhea and loss of taste and smell is seen during COVID and are the most impactful symptoms of the disease, what is actually ignored are the skin rashes, COVID toes, eczema, papular rash, vesicular rash, oral rash, pityriasis rosea, purpuric or vasculitic Rashes, urticarial rash and viral exanthem. There are different types of the skin issues associated with COVID. In order to confirm whether a skin condition is related to COVID or not, one needs to understand the symptoms. For example, one of the most common skin manifestations is COVID toes. So what does it look like? In this condition one or more toes or digits may swell and turn pink, red or purplish in color. In some cases, pus like liquid is also seen in the bumps. These bumps are usually sore but are not itchy. When the rash heals the skin on the bumps peels off leaving the active skin patchy and scaly. Likewise, the eczema seen in COVID usually appears on the neck and on the chest region which is exposed to sunlight. These rashes are itchy and look pinkish or reddish. As per experts, people who do not have any history of skin disease can also develop this condition. An oral rash will appear on the lips and sometimes it may lead to soreness in the mouth. The American Academy of Dermatology Association says, a typical COVID rash would appear like a patchy rash, itchy bumps, blisters that look like chickenpox, round and pinpoint spots on the skin, large patch with several smaller ones, lace like pattern on the skin and flat/ raised bumps on the skin. In a nutshell, the rashes which appear during, on or after a COVID infection are usually itchy and should not be ignored.