What is Covid toes? What are the symptoms?
SOME people have been struck with the condition, which can be painful, for months after getting sick. Experts have now figured out what is causing the strange reaction on the toes.
This became dubbed "Covid toes", with the condition sometimes lasting months.
Now scientists think they have figured out why it happens and is a side-effect for some people.
Many patients have been struck with the condition, which can be painful, for months after getting sick.
What is Covid toes and what are the symptoms?
It seems to be that anyone of any age can get Covid toes.
Although in reports it seems children and teens suffer more with the condition.
It can present as red, inflamed toes sometimes with a rash.
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This can be sore and itchy, with blisters and swelling.
The affected toes, although some fingers have been reported too, can look red or purple.
Some patients can also get raised painful bumps or pus.
It can last for weeks or months, often with people suffering from it not experiencing the classic Covid symptoms.
It appears to have been less common with the Delta variant.
Prof Vassilios Vassiliou, from UEA's Norwich Medical School, said: "A less common symptom [of Covid] are rashes of various forms.
"Knowing how Covid-19 affects the skin and nails is important. A recent study found that for 17 per cent of Covid-19 patients with multiple symptoms, skin rashes were the first symptom to appear, while for 21 per cent of patients rashes were their only symptom.
"Being able to identify the effects of Covid-19 on the skin may allow cases to be spotted earlier – or even picked up altogether in people who are otherwise asymptomatic. This could help limit transmission."
What are the new findings about the condition?
Researchers behind the new study, published in , examined 50 participants with Covid toes and 13 with similar chilblains lesions that arose before the pandemic.
They found one mechanism behind both types of the condition involved the body generating an immune response with high levels of certain autoantibodies.
This then leads them to mistakenly target and react with a person's own cells and tissues as well as the invading virus.
They also found an overlap with type I interferon, a key protein in the antiviral response.
In addition to the immune system, cells lining blood vessels which supply the affected areas also appeared to play a critical role in the development of Covid toes and chilblains.
Senior author of the study, Dr Charles Cassius, said the research provided a deeper understanding of the condition.
He said: "The epidemiology and clinical features of chilblain-like lesions have been extensively studied and published, however, little is known about the pathophysiology involved.
"Our study provides new insights."
On November 24, 2021 the term "Covid toe"; began to trend on Twitter.
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Many of the tweets surrounding the trending topic were about player Aaron Rodgers.
User Laura Nelson (@laura_nelson), a reporter for the LA Times wrote, "Quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who didn’t get vaccinated against COVID-19 and then got sick, is now dealing with 'Covid Toe,' a painful condition that can last weeks and gets worse in cold weather — like, say, Green Bay, Wisconsin, in late November."
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