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Skin Rash May Be a Symptom of COVID-19

AHA Publisher — Tue, 14 Jul 2020 07:00:30 +0000

Sally Robertson, B.Sc. via News-Medical Net – Researchers at King’s College London and Zoe Global Ltd have conducted a study suggesting that skin rashes could be valuable predictors of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In a large community-based study, 8.8% of people who had tested positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) also reported having a skin rash. Among people who had not tested positive, but did report at least one classic symptom of COVID-19 symptom based on NHS guidelines, 8.2% also reported skin rashes. According to NHS guidelines, the three most common signs of COVID-19 are fever, persistent cough, and a reduced sense of smell (anosmia). Skin-related symptoms are not included, even though these can be easily spotted by patients, say Mario Falchi and team. The researchers say their findings strongly support including skin rashes, adding that although skin rashes are far less common than fever, they are much more specific and last longer. “Recognizing rashes is important in identifying new and earlier COVID-19 cases,” says the team. A pre-print version of the paper is available on the server medRxiv*, while the article undergoes peer review. The Link with Skin Manifestations Has Been Slow to Emerge It has become apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic that while the disease is primarily a respiratory illness, it also targets multiple organs, including the skin. Some studies have previously reported urticaria, chicken pox-like body rashes, and chilblains on the toes or fingers (acral rashes), possibly due to minor thrombotic events or damaged endothelium in small vessels of the digits. However, the link between COVID-19 and skin manifestations has been slower to emerge than it has for organs such as the heart, intestine, and brain. “COVID-19 rashes may present in many forms and at different stages of the disease. The heterogeneous presentations, the time delay, as well as the focus on severely ill patients during the early phases of the pandemic, led to the skin being overlooked as an important target organ for COVID-19,” say Falchi and colleagues. Now the researchers have used data available for 336,847 UK users of the COVID Symptom Study app to investigate the diagnostic value of skin rashes for infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The team also used data available for 11,546 people who participated in an independent survey on COVID-19-related skin symptoms. Skin Rashes Increased the Odds of SARS-CoV-2 Positivity More Than Fever Of 27,157 app users who provided swab test results, 2,021 (7.4%) were positive for SARS-CoV-2, and 25,136 (92.6%) were negative. Of the swab-positive individuals, 178 (8.8%) reported skin rashes (138 body rashes; 62 acral and 22 both body and acral), compared with 1357 (5.4%) of swab-negative individuals. Association analysis showed that the presence of body or acral rashes increased the likelihood of being swab positive for SARS-CoV-2 by 67%. This compares with fever increasing the odds of SARS-CoV-2 positivity by 47%, and fever is commonly used to screen for COVID, points out the team. Skin Rashes Were Also Predictive in Untested, But Symptomatic Users Among the 334,690 app users who did not provide a swab test result, 17,371 reported one of the three main symptoms (fever, persistent cough, and anosmia), which according to NHS guidelines, would require isolation and SARS-CoV-2 testing. Of those reporting one of the three typical symptoms, 8.2% also reported a skin rash, compared with 6% of untested users who did not report any of the three symptoms. Association analysis revealed that among untested users who reported one of the three main symptoms, the likelihood of having a body rash was 46% greater compared with those who did not report one of the symptoms. The increased likelihood of acral rash among those reporting a symptom was not statistically significant. The Findings Support the Inclusion of Skin Rashes as a Suspected Symptom To capture more information about the type, duration, and timing of rashes, the team analyzed data available for people 11,546 with a rash who participated in an independent survey on COVID-19-related skin symptoms. Among 694 responders who were positive for SARS-CoV-2 by swab or antibody test and provided information on COVID-19-related symptoms, the rash appeared before any other symptom in 17% of cases and in 21% of cases, the rash was the only symptom. “Twenty-one percent of the SARS-CoV-2 positive surveyees presented with skin symptoms alone and would have been missed if using the NHS classic symptoms alone,” write Falchi and colleagues. The researchers say the findings strongly support the inclusion of skin rashes as a suspected COVID-19 symptom. “Although, it is less prevalent than fever, it is more specific of COVID-19 and last longer,” they add. “An increased awareness from the public and healthcare professionals regarding COVID-19 skin changes will allow more efficient identification of new and earlier clusters of the disease,” concludes the team. *Important Notice medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information. To read the original article click here.

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Loss of Smell & Taste Validated as COVID-19 Symptoms (w/High Recovery Rate)

AHA Publisher — Tue, 14 Apr 2020 07:00:52 +0000

University of California – San Diego via EurekAlert – Loss of smell and taste has been anecdotally linked to COVID-19 infections. Study suggests clinicians should include sensory impairment as standard screening measure. In a study published April 12, 2020 in the journal International Forum of Allergy & Rhinology, researchers at UC San Diego Health report the first empirical findings that strongly associate sensory loss with COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus. If you have smell & taste loss, you’re more than 10x more likely to have COVID-19 infection than other causes of infection “Based on our study, if you have smell and taste loss, you are more than 10 times more likely to have COVID-19 infection than other causes of infection. The most common first sign of a COVID-19 infection remains fever, but fatigue and loss of smell and taste follow as other very common initial symptoms,” said Carol Yan, MD, an otolaryngologist and head and neck surgeon at UC San Diego Health. “We know COVID-19 is an extremely contagious virus. This study supports the need to be aware of smell and taste loss as early signs of COVID-19.” Yan and colleagues surveyed 1,480 patients with flu-like symptoms and concerns regarding potential COVID-19 infection who underwent testing at UC San Diego Health from March 3 through March 29, 2020. Within that total, 102 patients tested positive for the virus and 1,378 tested negative. The study included responses from 59 COVID-19-positive patients and 203 COVID-19-negative patients. Yan said the study demonstrated the high prevalence and unique presentation of certain sensory impairments in patients positive with COVID-19. Of those who reported loss of smell and taste, the loss was typically profound, not mild. But encouragingly, the rate of recovery of smell and taste was high and occurred usually within two to four weeks of infection. “Our study not only showed that the high incidence of smell and taste is specific to COVID-19 infection, but we fortunately also found that for the majority of people sensory recovery was generally rapid,” said Yan. “Among the Covid-19 patients with smell loss, more than 70 percent had reported improvement of smell at the time of survey and of those who hadn’t reported improvement, many had only been diagnosed recently.” Sensory return typically matched the timing of disease recovery. Interestingly, the researchers found that persons who reported experiencing a sore throat more often tested negative for COVID-19. In an effort to decrease risk of virus transmission, UC San Diego Health now includes loss of smell and taste as a screening requirement for visitors and staff, as well as a marker for testing patients who may be positive for the virus. Other known symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, fatigue, cough and difficulty breathing. Respondents in Yan’s study were most often persons with milder forms of COVID-19 infection who did not require hospitalization or intubation. The findings, she said, underline the importance of identifying early or subtle symptoms of COVID-19 infection in people who may be at risk of transmitting the disease as they recuperate within the community. “It is our hope that with these findings other institutions will follow suit and not only list smell and taste loss as a symptom of COVID-19, but use it as a screening measure for the virus across the world,” Yan said. To read the original article click here.

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Coronavirus Prevention and Symptoms: 10 Tips and When to Seek Medical Attention

AHA Publisher — Mon, 16 Mar 2020 07:00:25 +0000

Dr. Don Colbert – While the Coronavirus is spreading across the globe and causing fear, remember that there are many preventative measures you can take. Coronavirus prevention starts with each of us. In addition to the obvious tips of avoiding public events, travel, and those with suspected Coronavirus, there are simple steps you can take to reduce your risk. First, know the symptoms and when they are cause for concern. Next, practice these Vital Tips for Coronavirus Prevention. Coronavirus Symptoms 1. First, it causes a sore throat that generally lasts 3-4 days. 2. Next, Coronavirus mixes with nasal fluid and mucus. It can enter the trachea and make its way to the lungs. This usually causes pneumonia. This period lasts another 5-6 days. 3. During the pneumonia infection, patients also experience a high fever and more difficulty breathing. 4. Of note, as it progresses, the nasal and lung congestion does not feel like a normal cold. It’s more like not being able to breathe and drowning. It’s absolutely imperative to seek immediate medical attention if you have these symptoms. 10 Vital Tips for Coronavirus Prevention 1. Runny nose and sputum mean you likely have a common cold, and not the Coronavirus. If you have a runny nose, it’s still best to stay home and not spread the cold, but this is different than Coronavirus. 2. If you have a dry cough and no runny nose, the is more inline with Coronavirus pneumonia symptoms. By the time you develop noticeable symptoms, the disease may have progressed. A great way to self-check your lungs each day before symptoms appear is to take a deep breath and hold it for more than 10 seconds while in an environment of clean air. If you can hold it without coughing, tightness, discomfort, or stiffness, your lungs are without the fibrosis caused by the virus. If coronavirus is active, you will likely not be able to hold your breath for long without coughing and discomfort. 3. The Coronavirus is killed by heat. Use hot water, get as much sunlight as possible, and boil or steam anything you believe could be contaminated. 4. Maintain distance between yourself and others, at least 5 feet and preferably 10 feet. A sneeze that contains the Coronavirus will have droplets that travel up to 10 feet before they are no longer airborne and contagious. Avoiding close contact with others is a vital Coronavirus prevention measure. 5. The Coronavirus can live on different surfaces, for different amounts of time. It can live on metals surfaces for 12 or more hours. Disinfect the surfaces if possible and wash your hands after any contact. 6. The Coronavirus can live on fabric for 6-12 hours. If you come in contact with suspicious fabric, wash your hands. Normal laundry soap will suffice to disinfect the fabric. 7. Choose warm drinking water over cold, and avoid ice water. All viruses hate warm water. 8. Washing your hands is likely the most important defense you have. The virus can live on your skin for 5-10 minutes. Think of all the times you touch your face, others, and surfaces in just that time! Make sure to keep your hands away from your face, and wash your hands frequently. You can also use sanitizer when unable to wash with soap and water. 9. Gargling with salt water is a great precaution as well. Try 1/8-1/4 teaspoon of salt per 8 ounces warm water. 10. The Coronavirus is most harmful if it can get from your mouth down your airways and to your lungs. Drinking water frequently can help. Drink at least every 10-15 minutes. Water forces anything your mouth and esophagus down to your stomach, where you have powerful acid to kill viruses. Do not let your mouths become dry! Bottom Line While the Coronavirus is spreading across the globe and causing fear, remember that there are many preventative measures you can take. First, know the symptoms and seek immediate medical attention if possible. In the meantime, practice these preventative measures and share with others as we all depend on each other to stay healthy. To read the original article click here. For more articles from Dr. Colbert click here.

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