Fever, cough, shortness of breath, loss of taste and smell – this is the list of covid symptoms. As it turns out, it is not closed. Scientists have identified new symptoms that can help identify the early stage of the infection. These include the hands, tongue and… the soles of the feet.
It emerged as early as last November that coronavirus can cause a number of ailments previously unassociated with the disease. The Society of General Practitioners of Spain reported that a person with COVID-19 can have up to 36 different symptoms.
The occurrence of unusual symptoms was confirmed by a study by researchers from the University of La Paz in Madrid, published in the British Journal of Dermatology. The study was conducted on a group of 666 patients undergoing a mild or moderate form of coronavirus infection. What symptoms did the patients most often struggle with?
What is covid tongue?
In 1 out of 4 patients studied, lesions were found on the tongue. These included various types of swelling, ulceration, discoloration and recently formed depressions and protuberances. Patients were diagnosed with tongue papillitis arranged in a U-shape. The standard symptoms of COVID-19 were also accompanied by stomatitis or mucositis. A small number of patients complained of a burning sensation in the mouth.
Such symptoms came to be known as , “covid tongue. This is an unofficial term – lesions in the mouth caused by coronavirus infection have not yet received a medical term.
Why does coronavirus infection manifest itself in the mouth?
Scientists suspect that it is a coronavirus-sensitive area. There are a large number of AECE2 receptors on the tongue, which play a key role in the transmission of the virus into cells.
Is a covid tongue a dangerous symptom?
No relationship has been observed between the occurrence of covid tongue and the severity of the disease. Symptoms, with proper treatment, disappear after about a week.
Doctors emphasize that changes in the mouth should not be taken as a basis for diagnosing an infection. A single swelling or ulceration of the tongue, if it does not occur along with other symptoms, is not indicative of COVID-19.
What are covid fingers?
Dermatological lesions on the hands or feet were found in about 40% of the patients studied. They were reddish-purple patches, often with ulcerations, blisters and papules. In some patients, frostbite-like lesions were observed.
Like the lesions on the tongue, the spots on the fingers and toes lived to have an unofficial term – , “covid fingers.
How is it known that the spots on the fingers are associated with COVID-19?
One study published in The Journal of Dermatology confirms it. Children with spots and skin lesions underwent tests that detected the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in skin endothelial cells and sweat glands.
Doctors say covid fingers can help diagnose infections with an asymptomatic course. This is because sometimes it is the only symptom patients experience.
How long do the lesions on covid fingers last?
Skin problems occur in patients with mild coronavirus infection and usually disappear within two weeks of infection. However, some researchers, such as Dr. Esther E. Freeman, say the lesions can persist much longer. The doctor, after studying about 1,000 patients with coronavirus, concluded that skin problems can accompany patients for several dozen days.
Changes on the soles of the feet
Dermatological lesions can also involve unusual areas of the body, such as… the soles of the feet. Patients with coronavirus report their burning, itching, redness, swelling and reddish-brown spots. Some time after infection, there may also be peeling of the epidermis on the feet.
Lesions on the soles of the feet may seem like an unusual symptom, but they also occur in the course of other diseases, including viral diseases. Redness and burning of the feet was a characteristic symptom of smallpox patients infected during the 1987 epidemic in China. Similar symptoms can also accompany people with HIV or cancer patients (in the latter case, they are the result of toxic treatment).
Remember that COVID-19 infection is usually associated with a syndrome of symptoms – one isolated symptom does not prove infection. If you suspect coronavirus in yourself, get tested – that way you’ll get reliable information about your condition!
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