A new study has found that for COVID-19 long haulers, skin symptoms can last up to 60 days or longer.
The American Academy of Dermatology and the International League of Dermatologic Societies collaborated on research to understand how and why inflammation persists. They looked at approximately 1,000 cases of skin conditions in COVID-19 patients and found that redness and swollen feet and hands typically lasted a median of 15 days in patients suspected to have coronavirus and 10 days for patients who had lab-confirmed COVID-19. Rashes that resembled hives lasted a median of four days and morbilliform rashes lasted about a week. Papulosquamous eruptions lasted a median of 20 days with the exception of one patient whose condition lasted 70 days.
Long-haulers had drastically different experiences with their skin conditions. The researchers found that six long-haulers had COVID toes that lasted 60 days and two patients had symptoms that lasted over 130 days.
“Unfortunately, several of our patients that are in this long-lasting group have experienced prolonged discomfort, so some of our patients have actually been in pain or discomfort in their feet for the entire time that they’ve had it. These long haulers,” said principal study author Dr. Esther Freeman.
