COVID toes: Know about this new coronavirus symptom in patients

New Delhi : Doctors have identified new symptom in the coronavirus patients and informally calls it 'COVID toes'.

The health workers are puzzled to see the presence of blue or purple lesions on a patient’s feet and toes.

"They’re typically painful to touch and could have a hot burning sensation," said Dr. Ebbing Lautenbach, chief of infectious disease at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Medicine.

According to the doctors, the COVID toes are generally found in the patients who do not show any other symptom for the virus. Similarly, the loss of taste and smell are the other symptoms shown by asymptomatic patients.

“This is a manifestation that occurs early on in the disease, meaning you have this first, then you progress,” Lautenbach said. “Sometimes this might be your first clue that they have COVID when they don’t have any other symptoms.”

It has also been mentioned that the COVID toes are likely to disappear in a week or 10 days time as the patient heals. But others progress to respiratory symptoms, he said.

Interestingly, the new symptom can be easily seen in children and young adults. Ebbing suggested this may be because children and young adults have better immune systems.

The COVID toes were first noticed by an Italian doctor. After taking the note, the same was noticed in many people across the USA.

Meanwhile, no doctor has reached to a conclusion on why the feet turns blue.

Although patients with “COVID toes” are more likely to test negative for COVID-19, as the virus is in its earliest stages, he said patients should quarantine at home and monitor closely for developing symptoms.