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The three main symptoms of coronavirus infection are fever, cough, and breathing problems. However, more reports continue to emerge about the unusual symptoms of COVID-19 that doctors are seeing in patients. In Spain, a rash in the mouth was found in patients.
- Oral rash in COVID-19 patients could be a new symptom of the disease. It appears approximately two weeks after the onset of other symptoms, e.g. fever
- It is not known how common this symptom occurs in patients, as the inside of the mouth is rarely examined in people confirmed to be infected with COVID-19.
- Mouth rash, like skin lesions on the body, has yet to be officially listed for COVID-19 symptoms
Mouth rash in COVID-19 patients
A growing body of research indicates that the appearance of an atypical skin rash may be related to SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus infection. Moreover, a rash may be the only symptom of an infection. Health experts examined 21 COVID-19 patients at Ramon y Cajal University Hospital in Madrid who developed a skin rash. It turned out that some of them also developed it on the oral mucosa.
The results of the study, which was published in JAMA Dermatology, showed that six patients with a skin rash also developed a rash inside the mouth. What’s more, the rash appeared about two weeks after other symptoms typical of COVID-19, such as shortness of breath or fever, appeared.
The patients (four women and two men) who had this symptom were between 40 and 69 years old. The researchers acknowledged that their work describes preliminary observations and is limited by a small number of cases and the lack of a control group.
However, it gives some clue: “Despite increasing reports of skin rashes in COVID-19 patients, establishing an etiological diagnosis is difficult. The presence of a rash on the mucous membranes inside the mouth is a strong indication and suggests a viral aetiology rather than, for example, a drug reaction, ”the study reads.
The researchers also noted that many patients with confirmed coronavirus infection do not have their mouth examined for safety reasons. As we know, the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus is transmitted by airborne droplets. This makes it uncertain how often the symptom described by doctors in Spain occurs. It is known that mouth rash has also been discovered in some COVID-19 patients treated in Italy.
Unusual symptoms of COVID-19
At the start of the pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported only three symptoms of the coronavirus in official sources: fever, cough, and difficulty breathing (shortness of breath). In April, the federal health agency expanded the list to include another six symptoms: chills, repetitive tremors combined with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, and loss of taste or smell.
See more: The 6 new symptoms of COVID-19 according to the CDC
There is still no rash on the list, although research by researchers at King’s College London suggests that the distinctive skin rash should be officially recognized as a symptom of COVID-19. Find out more: A symptom of COVID-19 that is not officially listed as symptoms
See what complications COVID-19 causes in patients:
- COVID-19 patients often experience severe neurological symptoms
- The coronavirus affects not only the lungs. It affects all organs
- Why does the coronavirus kill some and run like a cold in others?