What unusual symptoms of COVID-19 should I watch out for?
Colds, cough, fever and respiratory issues are spoken about, but there are other lesser common symptoms that could be indicative of COVID-19. According to an article in the New York Times, some patients who tested positive have complained of painful headaches, feeling dizzy or lightheaded, facial drooping and numbness and garbled speech. Besides these, some skin problems are also associated with COVID-19. These include strange rashes ranging from bumpy to smooth, itchy to innocuous. In some rare cases, the virus is even known to inflame joints and damage muscles, causing severe pain across the body.
Researchers at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Harvard Medical School (HMS), in collaboration with the American Academy of Dermatology and International League of Dermatologic Societies have created an international registry for describing and cataloguing the broad spectrum of dermatologic manifestations associated with coronavirus infections. They found that among all lab-confirmed patients, the most common skin sign was a measles-like (morbilliform) rash in 22 percent of patients that was generally seen in patients with moderate infections, followed by so-called ‘COVID toes’ (pernio-like reaction) consisting of red or purple itchy or tender bumps on the toes, heels or fingers, typically seen when skin is exposed to cold air or surfaces. This reaction was seen in 18 percent of patients in the registry, and was generally associated with mild infections.