Coronavirus: Five COVID-19 Related Skin Conditions Identified, Study Finds | World News



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According to a new study, dermatologists have identified five skin conditions associated with the coronavirus.

The research was carried out on 375 patients in Spain, in an effort to build an image of how the disease could manifest itself in skin symptoms.

Through the Spanish Academy of Dermatology, all dermatologists in the country were asked to help identify patients who had an unexplained “rash” in the past two weeks and who suspected or confirmed COVID-19.

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They were given a questionnaire and photos of skin conditions were taken to detect patterns of the possible effect of the virus on the skin.

But the authors of the study, published in the British Journal of Dermatology, cautioned that in some cases it was difficult to know if skin conditions were directly caused by coronavirus or if they indicated complications.

They also urged the public not to try to self-diagnose COVID-19 based on skin symptoms, because rashes and injuries are common and difficult to tell apart without medical experience.

Chilblain-like symptoms

According to the study, 19% of the cases involved symptoms similar to those of the savanna, described as “acral areas of erythema edema with some vesicles or pustules”.

These injuries, he said, affect the hands and feet and may resemble the small, itchy swellings of chilblains.

They were described as small red or purple spots caused by bleeding under the skin and generally asymmetrical in appearance.

The study said they were associated with younger patients, lasted an average of 12.7 days, appeared later in the COVID-19 course, and were associated with less severe cases of the disease.

Vesicular rashes

Described as outbreaks of small, commonly itchy blisters that appeared on the trunk of the body, dermatologists identified “vesicular rashes” in 9% of cases.

He said they may be full of blood, could enlarge or extend further, and could affect people’s limbs.

Associated with middle-aged patients, they lasted an average of 10.4 days, appeared more frequently before other symptoms, and were associated with intermediate severity of the disease.

Hives

Identified in 19% of cases, “urticarial lesions” consist of raised pink or white areas of the skin that resemble a nettle rash.

Commonly known as welts, they usually itch and can spread throughout the body, even in some cases on the palms of the hands.

They were found to last an average of 6.8 days,

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Other Maculopapules

“Other maculopapules” were identified in 47% of cases and were described as small, flat, raised red bumps.

They were distributed around the hair follicles in some cases and had varying degrees of peeling.

The study said the appearance was similar to pityriasis rosea, a common skin condition.

He said blood spots could also be present under the skin, either as spots or spots or in larger areas.

These conditions lasted 8.6 days on average.

They generally appeared at the same time as other coronavirus symptoms, were associated with more severe cases, and itching was very common.

The researchers emphasized that maculopapules and urticaria lesions are common and can have many causes, meaning that they may not be a helpful helper in diagnosing COVID-19.

Livedo or necrosis

Identified by dermatologists in 6% of cases, livedo or necrosis occurs when the circulation in the blood vessels of the skin is affected, causing it to adopt a red or blue appearance with a pattern similar to a network .

Necrosis describes the premature death of skin tissue.

Patients showed varying degrees of injury that pointed to “occlusive vascular disease,” where narrowing or blockage of the arteries occurs, limiting blood flow to certain areas of the body.

The study added that these conditions were associated with older patients with severe cases of COVID-19, although the manifestations of the disease in this group varied.

Livedoid and necrotic lesions are relatively rare, but the authors said it was difficult to know whether they were directly caused by the coronavirus or simply indicated complications.

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