Although it is just over three months since COVID-19 arrived in Spain and the media have been flooded with information about the pandemic, it seems that there are still many things we do not know about how this virus affects our body.
The coronavirus could also affect our skin, according to a study published in the prestigious British Journal of Dermatology in which the Spanish Academy of Dermatology has participated. In fact, in this research they have detected up to five different symptoms of COVID-19 in our skin.
The confirmation has come after numerous dermatologists from all over the country found these cutaneous manifestations in 375 patients with coronavirus. For two weeks, they have been under observation and the health workers have been able to observe how, depending on the severity of the pathology, the symptoms can vary.
The five dermatological symptoms identified so far are as follows
Chilblains
Appears in younger patients with mild cases of coronavirus, about 19% of cases. It is a reddish inflammation occurring on specific areas of the skin of the hands, feet or ears that causes burning and itching. It usually lasts about two weeks and disappears.
Blistering rashes
Appears in middle-aged patients when other symptoms have also manifested. Only 9% of those affected have had it. It is the appearance of skin eruptions with small blisters, similar in appearance to chickenpox, which may appear on the trunk, arms and legs. It lasts approximately 10 days.
Urticaria
It appears in 19% of patients with a severe prognosis. It is characterized by the appearance of lumps and inflammation of the skin and mucous membranes scattered over the body, which are very itchy and can become very annoying. They last approximately 7 days.
Maculopapules
These are the most frequently detected symptom in patients, affecting 47% of the study participants with a severe prognosis. They are flat spots and raised lesions scattered over the body. They last 8-9 days.
Livedo-reticularis and necrosis
This symptom affected older patients and more severe cases. It has affected 6% of the participants, with a mortality rate of 10%. It is characterized by marks on the skin that resemble a net in shape. It looks similar to the marks that appear when exposed to the sun for a long period of time. In this case, patients show different degrees of involvement.