Feet with “COVID fingers”: they are investigating another possible effect of the coronavirus

Various sores or rashes began to appear on the feet of some people who had overcome the coronavirus. This condition, known since the start of the pandemic, has come to be known as “COVID toes”.

Since then, scientists and dermatologists have started to study its causes. The most recent were published in the British Journal of Dermatology.

At first, some dermatologists pointed out that these sores could be caused by inflammation, others pointed out that they were due to small blood clots in the toes. And while the causes were clarified, everyone pointed out that these reddish sores appear on the toes and, sometimes, on the fingers of the hands.

The most recent study, published on October 5, suggests that these sores may be a sign of an out of control immune response in which the body attacks its own tissues. To reach this conclusion, the scientists recruited 50 patients who had developed lesions similar to frostbite, characterized by reddish inflammation that occurs in localized areas and causes itching and burning.

All the patients had gone to the dermatology department of Saint-Louis hospital in Paris in April 2020 to present one of these lesions. After several analyzes, the researchers found that most of the patients had high levels of autoantibodies, which are those proteins generated by the immune system that attack the body’s own tissues.

Another of the results they found in the tests was that, compared to patients who had not been infected, this group had high levels of proteins called type 1 interferons, which are responsible for activating genes. that fight pathogens in immune cells. “Although they help fight viruses, human cells can end up suffering collateral damage in the process,” the article notes.

Source: The spectator