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- Lesions on the toes that made them look frozen have been reported following COVID-19.
- A study of the so-called COVID toe found that it could result from an overreaction of the immune system
- The results add to a growing body of evidence suggesting that COVID-19 caused the lesions.
A study of the phenomenon called “COVID toe,” skin lesions that appear after being infected with the coronavirus, may have been explained by a new study.
The work, based on cases from Paris, suggests that the problem could be caused by an overly aggressive immune response from the body.
A study that will help: a growing evidence that COVID-19 caused the disease, provides a snapshot of the immune responses in the COVID-19 toes.
Their results have been published in the peer-reviewed British Journal of Dermatology on Tuesday.
At the beginning of the pandemic, cases of “COVID toe” emerged. They are characterized by the fact that the feet look a bit like frostbite: purple hue, swollen toes, and red, itchy plaques on the extremities.
The sores can be extremely painful and cause itching or burning. The New York Times reported earlier.
As of April 2020, the American Academy of Dermatology had received about 100 submissions from people who saw these types of lesions on their hands and feet, Insider’s Yeji Jesse Lee previously reported.
Scientists have debated whether these were just random occurrences or whether these cases were caused by the COVID-19 coronavirus.
In the new study, scientists looked at 50 cases of COVID toes admitted to Saint Louis Hospital in 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 life-saving in infections. It acts as a first line of defense through Activation of the immune system to fight off viruses.
But the molecule might be working too hard. It appears to be recruiting immune cells to the area, according to the study, which could cause damage in parts of the body where blood vessels are narrowest, such as the toes.
The scientists also found that the COVID-19 toes contained antibodies that attacked the body, not just the virus.
The good news is that local or systemic anti-inflammatory treatment could reverse COVID toes, the scientists in the study said.
“COVID toes” were the most commonly seen at the start of the pandemic. They were less common during the delta wave, Dr. Veronique Bataille, Consultative Dermatologist and Spokesperson for the British Skin Foundation, said the BBC.
This could mean that vaccination or immunity to a previous infection will help showcase the appearance of COVID-19 toes, according to the BBC.
This would make sense as vaccines are effective in reducing the risk of serious illness and death from COVID-19.
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