All the complicated variations in symptoms that can characterize a coronavirus infection have been going through some reevaluations as doctors and health experts worldwide have been documenting different and more subtle symptoms (such as COVID toe) is largely asymptomatic patients compared to those who have been hospitalized.
Since many early studies involved only hospitalized patients, these additional symptoms were slower to come to the attention of healthcare authorities.
The original signs to watch for include shortness of breath, fever, and a dry cough. Some of the newer signs that can occur without or with the original signs include chills and shaking, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, loss of smell and taste, and the appearance of red lesions on the toes that are being called ‘COVID toe”. In fact, many otherwise asymptomatic people had a loss of smell or red lesions on the toes as their only symptom.
Signs of ‘COVID toe’ resemble those of chilblains (chilblains typically occur in winter months and these new cases of COVID toe are occurring in warmer months):
- Pink and red lesions on the toes
- Lesions get darker and turn more purple as the condition progresses
- Swelling, burning, and itching sensations
- Tenderness to touch
Some patients develop COVID toe at the beginning of coronavirus infection along with a cough and fever. Others get it after the initial symptoms have passed, and still others have COVID toe as their only symptom of coronavirus.
If you are experiencing lesions on your toes, contact your foot doctor. At Your Next Step, our team of board-certified podiatrists has access to advanced technologies, along with years of experience, to help diagnose and treat a variety of foot and ankle problems, including sports injuries, joint pain, toe deformities, nail fungus, chronic tendon pain, and skin problems. Dr. Eric Ricefield, Dr. Mark Yagodich and Dr. Aliza V. Eisen provide high-quality foot and ankle care to patients in the greater Philadelphia area at our offices conveniently located in Ardmore, Paoli, and Downingtown, PA. Please contact us for more information or to schedule an appointment.