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Fatigue and headache are the most common complications after COVID-19. They last for months after infection. Patients also experience unusual symptoms, sometimes they appear on the skin. How do they look? A well-known British epidemiologist prof. Tim Spector showed them on social media. The unpleasant trail of COVID-19 appeared “many weeks” after infection.
- On Twitter, the epidemiologist prof. Tim Spector showed skin lesions that occurred “many weeks” after infection
- Currently, rashes are a rare symptom of COVID-19, but the changes can be persistent and last for months.
- Some covid rashes come and go, and are common in people with chronic covid
- It is unclear what exactly causes COVID-19 rashes. This may be related to the immune response to the virus
- More current information can be found on the Onet homepage.
The three faces of the long covid
Long COVID-19, or long-term symptoms of coronavirus infection, is attracting more and more attention from doctors and scientists. And although long covid is still a mystery, we get to know this phenomenon better and better. Recently, researchers at King’s College London found that complications from coronavirus infection form three distinct types, each with characteristic symptoms. They have been observed in unvaccinated people and those vaccinated against COVID-19.
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Analyzes of data from the ZOE COVID application (using it, people with COVID-19 report their ailments) have shown that pocovid complications most often appear in the nervous system. People who experienced it complained mainly of fatigue, brain fog, headaches. The second type was manifested by disorders of the respiratory system. People in this group reported chest pain and severe shortness of breath. The third group consisted of people who reported a variety of physical symptoms, including palpitations and muscle aches, but also skin changes.
What the skin pocovidic ailments look like was shown by a well-known British epidemiologist, employee of King’s College London and co-creator of the aforementioned ZOE COVID application.
Skin changes weeks after passing COVID-19
“Covid rashes appearing weeks after infection continue to cause diagnostic confusion,” he wrote next to a photo of hands covered in lesions. The skin, he added, is “painful and crusty, but otherwise you feel fine”.
It has been known that COVID-19 can also cause skin symptoms since spring 2020. They appeared on the body or on the fingers and toes (the so-called covid fingers). Data analysis from the ZOE COVID app showed that rashes were twice as common in children as in adults. It’s also known that changes can occur before, during, or after other COVID-19 symptoms appear, sometimes even weeks later. Sometimes they are the only symptom of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Covid rashes are usually itchy, some people are also sensitive to light, and red patches may appear on the face after a short period of being outdoors. It is unclear what exactly causes COVID-19 rashes. Scientists suspect it may be related to the immune response to the virus.
The two main types of “covid” changes in the skin
Although it is not known exactly why SARS-CoV-2 causes skin lesions, it is known what they are characterized by. There are two main types of covid changes on the skin.
Chickenpox-like rash is the most commonly reported type of skin lesion. The rash appears as red bumps that can affect any part of the body, but most commonly involve the elbows, knees, backs of the hands and feet. The lesions are usually very itchy, there may be scabs and blisters.
Urticaria is the second most commonly reported rash in COVID-19. It appears suddenly in the form of raised, highly itchy bumps that appear and disappear fairly quickly. Hives can appear on any part of the body, including the face (the eyelids and lips may then become swollen; in this case it is necessary to check for breathing difficulties – this condition requires immediate medical attention).
It is estimated that in the previous waves, covid-related skin changes affected about one in 10 people. Today, skin rashes are a rare symptom of COVID-19. However, as scientists analyzing the ZOE COVID data point out, such rashes can be persistent and require the use of medications. The changes may last for a long time, even several months. “Some COVID-19 rashes come and go and are often reported in people with chronic covid.”