Angry red pinpricks, itchy hives, and purplish bruise-like spots on the skin often result from allergens or stress. Now, it appears that skin rashes may also signal COVID-19. Researchers discovered that skin rashes cluster with other symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 infection and predict a positive test result.
“Our results suggest that skin manifestations should be included in the list of symptoms to look for when suspecting infection,” Veronique Bataille, a dermatologist at King’s College London, who conducted the new research, wrote in an email.
Over the course of the pandemic, it became clear that infection with SARS-CoV-2 affected more than the lungs. Within the first few months, healthcare workers around the world noticed that patients had itchy, red welts, swelling of the face or lips, and red or purple sores or blisters on their feet or toes. During the first lockdown when people were at home with no testing and little ...
