Can coronavirus cause a rash? Dermatologists investigate possible skin symptoms

Does coronavirus cause skin problems?

Dermatologists are studying the possible symptom.

The American Academy of Dermatology announced a nationwide registry for doctors to track cases of skin issues related to COVID-19.

“Our hope is that information you and others provide will help us understand dermatologic manifestations of the COVID-19 virus,” the organization said on its website.

That includes coronavirus patients who develop skin issues and people with an existing skin condition infected with COVID-19.

Skin rashes or irritation is not listed by the CDC and World Health Organization as a common symptom. Typically, people infected with coronavirus have fever, dry cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, and chills, among other symptoms.

Podiatrists in Spain opened a similar registry after receiving numerous cases of infected patients — usually young adults and children — with purple lesions on their feet similar to chickenpox or measles. They noted that doctors in Italy and France observed similar cases.

In Italy, doctors studied 88 patients with coronavirus and found about 20% had skin manifestations, according to a study.

A California woman with coronavirus complained of similar symptoms to her dermatologist, KABC reported.

“I looked down, I was getting in the shower, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, my toe is turning blue,’” she told the TV station. “I felt like I had really bad blisters on it.”

Dr. Tracey Vlahovic, a podiatry professor at Temple University, told TODAY that research on so-called “COVID toes” is ongoing and based on observations.

“There’s no 1-to-1 correlation,” Vlahovic told the news outlet.

Rajeev Fernando, an infectious disease expert in New York, said he’s seen a variety of skin conditions in coronavirus patients, according to Prevention.

“Sometimes the rash is diffused, or spread out, and other times it’s localized to one area,” Fernando told the heath news website.

However, Fernando said rashes are common and could be caused by many factors besides coronavirus, Prevention reported.

“The fever is a big sign of COVID-19,” he said.