Foot sores may be a new symptom of COVID-19, Spanish doctors say

Purplish foot sores, like the ones seen in chickenpox and measles, may be an early sign of coronavirus infection, according to doctors in Spain where the confirmed cases of COVID-19 had crossed 1.8 lakh as of 8 am IST on April 16.

Both chickenpox and measles are caused by viruses and cause skin symptoms like rashes and sores.

While doctors in the field have noted that some of the younger COVID-19 patients in Spain, France and Italy got these sores before the onset of fever and cough, the findings have yet to be vetted by scientists.

COVID-19, the new coronavirus infection, is less than 16 weeks old. Naturally, we are learning something new about it every day. This extends also to the symptoms of the disease.

For example, last month pink eye or viral conjunctivitis was seen in some coronavirus patients in the US. Researchers have since confirmed this as a rare symptom of the disease which may occur in the “middle phase of illness” - around 13 days after contracting the infection.

So, which symptoms should you really look out for?

While on-ground reports and research uncover something new every day, the symptoms you should be concerned about have been pretty much the same since January: if you have a fever, cough, blocked nose and difficulty breathing, fatigue, headache, body ache, these could be mild symptoms of coronavirus infection. Do not panic; call the 1075 - the government helpline - to know what to do next.

Patients have also widely reported the loss of sense of smell and taste as symptoms. While there is research to back these symptoms, they are not classic symptoms of the disease. Classic symptoms are those which are seen in most patients, and which doctors can use to diagnose an ailment.

Symptoms of more severe COVID-19 illness include:

• Fast breathing - 30 breaths per minute compared with 12-20 in healthy individuals.
• Respiratory distress where the patient may grunt or experience chest in-drawing.
• Pneumonia: In which the lungs fill up with fluid and make breathing difficult.

If you have shortness of breath, don’t panic and don’t lose time: telephone your physician or the government helpline number to know what to do next.

Read our article on   Mild versus Severe Symptoms of Coronavirus Infection   for more details.

Health articles in Firstpost are written by myUpchar.com, India’s first and biggest resource for verified medical information. At myUpchar, researchers and journalists work with doctors to bring you information on all things health.