‘COVID toe’, a painful condition that looks like frostbite, could be a side effect of the body’s desperation to beat the virus, study finds

• Lesions on their toes that make them look frozen have been reported after COVID-19.

• So-called COVID toe study found it could be caused by an overreaction of the immune system

• The findings add to a growing body of evidence that suggests COVID-19 caused the lesions.

• See more stories on the Insider business page.

A study on the phenomenon called “COVID toe,” skin lesions that appear after catching the coronavirus, may have been explained by a new study.

The work, based on cases from Paris, suggests the problem could be caused by an overly aggressive immune response from the body.

A study, which contributes to a growing body of evidence supporting COVID-19 caused disease, provides a snapshot of immune responses in COVID-19 toes.

Their findings were published Tuesday in the peer-reviewed British Journal of Dermatology.

Cases of the “COVID toe” began to appear early in the pandemic. They are characterized by feet that appear a bit frozen: purple tint, swollen toes, and itchy red patches at the extremities.

The sores can be extremely painful, causing itchiness or a burning sensation, the New York Times previously reported.

As of April 2020, the American Academy of Dermatology had received around 100 submissions from people seeing this type of lesion on their hands and feet, Yeji Jesse Lee of Insider previously reported.

Scientists wondered if these were just appearances by chance or if these cases were caused by the COVID-19 coronavirus.

In the new study, scientists looked at 50 cases of COVID toe that arrived at Saint-Louis Hospital, Paris, France, in the spring of 2020.

Based on blood and skin biopsy tests, the researchers found that the toes had abnormal levels of a molecule called interferon 1.

The molecule is lifesaving during infections. It acts as a first line of defense by activating the immune system to fight viruses.

But the molecule may be working too hard. According to the study, it appears to recruit immune cells to the area, which could damage parts of the body where the blood vessels are narrow, such as the toes.

The story continues

Scientists also found that COVID-19 toes had antibodies that attacked the body, not just the virus.

The good news is that local or systemic anti-inflammatory treatment could reverse COVID toes, scientists in the study said.

The “COVID toes” were seen the most early in the pandemic. They were less common during the Delta Wave, Dr Véronique Bataille, consultant dermatologist and spokesperson for the British Skin Foundation, told the BBC.

This could mean that vaccination or immunity against a previous infection helps present the onset of COVID-19 toe, according to the BBC.

This would make sense, as vaccines effectively reduce the risk of serious illness and death from COVID-19.

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