What are ‘COVID Toes’? Doctors have identified a possible new symptom of COVID-19

• Doctors have identified a potential symptom for COVID-19 called COVID toes.
• It is described as purple or blue toe lesions appearing on patient’s feet.

Doctors treating COVID-19 patients are now saying that they have noticed a new symptom of the virus called ‘COVID Toes.’

Those are purple or blue lesions appearing on patient’s toes which can be a way to diagnose infection, as it has appeared in asymptomatic and severe cases alike.

But there have been no conclusive studies to validate such a phenomenon.

Chief of infectious disease at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Medicine Dr. Ebbing Lautenbach, said that COVID toes are typically painful to touch and could have a hot burning sensation.

He added that these symptoms seem to be present in children and young adults.

The most severe COVID-19 patients also exhibited COVID toes as confirmed by Susan Wilcox, Chief of critical care for the emergency department of Massachusetts General Hospital. This includes patients that displayed the most common symptom that is acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).

View this post on Instagram

Have you heard about COVID toes on the news but are not sure what it is? Click to read what Dr. Taub has to say about COVID toes and what to do if you or someone you love has it. #chicagodermatology #northshorederm #northshoredermatology #covidtoes #covid19

A post shared by Advanced Dermatology (@advdermatology) on Apr 23, 2020 at 9:59am PDT

Lautenbach added that there can be two possible explanations behind COVID toes: It could possibly be a localized inflammatory response to infection that presents in a person’s foot and toes, or it might be a blood vessel clot.

He did admit that more research is needed for more information about the COVID toes.