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Researchers believe they’ve discovered the reason some people with COVID develop frostbite-like lesions on their toes.
Known as the “COVID toe,” the skin condition may be a side effect of the immune system overreacting in its response to fighting the virus, a new study has suggested.
The symptom is characterized by inflammation and frostbite-like redness on the hands and feet, with the results sometimes lasting for months.
Scientists now believe the findings, published in the British Journal of Dermatology, could help with treatments to relieve symptoms.
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While the COVID toe can develop at any age, researchers said it is more common in children and adolescents.
For some it is painless, but for others the rash can be extremely painful and itchy, with tender blisters and swelling.
For the study, a team of researchers from the University of Paris, France, analyzed 50 people suspected of having a COVID toe in the spring of 2020, and 13 others with similar frostbite that were not linked to infections with COVID, because they happened long before the start of the pandemic. .
Scientists say the findings shed light on this side effect associated with COVID, helping to determine why such a condition occurs. It turns out that everything is related to the immune system of our body.
It appears that the lesions of the toes and fingers are caused by the body going into “attack” mode, to counter the infection with COVID.
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Two components of our immune system lead to the formation of these lesions, both involving mechanisms the body uses to fight the coronavirus.
One is an antiviral protein called type 1 interferon, and the other is a type of antibody that mistakenly attacks a person’s own cells and tissues, not just the invading virus.
It was also revealed that the cells lining the blood vessels, which supply the affected areas, appear to play a vital role in the development of COVID toes and frostbite.
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The researchers hope their findings will help patients and doctors better understand the disease.
“The epidemiology and clinical features of frostbite-like lesions have been widely studied and published, however, little is known about the pathophysiology involved,” said Dr. Charles Cassius, lead author of the study. The telegraph.
“Our study provides new insights.”
Although the skin lesions caused by COVID toes usually go away on their own, some people may need treatment with creams and other medications.
Watch: Coronavirus Could Cause Rash In Some People, Here’s What You Need To Know
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