New Covid-19 Symptom? A Rash In The Mouth
October 23, 2020 | Farah Jassawalla

New Covid-19 Symptom? A Rash In The Mouth

اردو میں پڑھیں 

 

The acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 causes certain telltale symptoms, including a fever, cough, shortness of breath, and loss of smell and taste. While rashes on the skin are thought to be associated with Covid-19, a new study in Spain reveals that the novel coronavirus may also trigger the appearance of rashes inside the mouth.

These rashes in the mouth are known as enanthem. According to a research study, an enanthem is a small spot like a rash on the mucous membrane. It is one common characteristic that features in people with viral infections, such as chickenpox.

The study

As many as 21 patients were examined that had presented with both Covid-19 and a rash. This was carried out in the month of April. Patients who presented with enanthems in their oral cavities were examined and categorized into four groups, which are as follows:

Petechial—these occur as red spots on the skin. The red color is due to bleeding inside the skin.

Macular—these are non-raised discolored spots that are larger than petechiae.

Macular with petechiae

Erythematous vesicular—blood-filled raised spots that feel uneven upon touching.

 

6 out of 21 patients studied had rashes in their mouths. They were between the ages of 40 and 69 years old, and four of the six were females. It was seen that an enanthem was more commonly located on the palate. Three of the six enanthems were macular with petechiae, while two were petechial, and one was macular. An erythematous vesicular enanthem was not seen.

These lesions were not likely to be a drug side effect; rather, they were tied to the infection itself.

Another theory deduced was that the rash could appear anywhere from two days before the onset of other Covid-19 symptoms to 24 days after, with an average of about 12 days after onset of symptoms. However, it has been quite difficult to assess the exact reason for the rash as oral cavities are rarely checked, so it usually goes unnoticed.

As the disease spreads rapidly across the globe, more and more research is being carried out to discover and reveal information about the virus. If people do not follow the basic protocols of social distancing, hand hygiene, wearing masks, coughing etiquette, and remaining at home as much as possible, this pandemic will keep getting worse and worse.

Is it contagious?

Rashes on the skin and the oral cavity are themselves not contagious but being close enough to someone to touch their vesicular eruptions could put you within range to contract the coronavirus by inhaling it. Therefore, it's better to take precautions and stay away from people who show these symptoms, even if they haven't tested positive.

What to do?

Coronavirus symptoms vary in every individual and shouldn't be taken lightly. Treatment for rashes in the mouth is not well known yet. However, maintaining your oral hygiene is still mandatory. Seeing a rash in your oral cavity may or may not be a symptom of the disease. However, it is important that if you see a rash, you should take it seriously by self-isolating and get tested immediately. Apart from this, no specific treatment is available. For skin rashes, it is believed that they resolve on their own within a few weeks.

If you do not have other severe symptoms like a high fever or shortness of breath, it is better to consult your primary care physician to see where you should be tested for the virus. If you want to stay informed with live updates on the current Covid-19 outbreak, visit Shifa4U for more details.

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Farah Jassawalla

Farah Jassawalla is a graduate of the Lahore School of Economics. She is also a writer, and healthcare enthusiast, having closely observed case studies while working with Lahore's thriving general physicians at their clinics.