FALSE: DO NOT SHARE
Claim:
Children can get a bad foot rash from COVID-19.
Answer:
Unconfirmed, a foot rash is not one of the main identified symptoms.
FURTHER INFORMATION
A message circulating on WhatsApp claims a 14-year old boy got bad foot blisters, which were diagnosed as being caused by COVID-19.
This is unconfirmed. Whilst there have been some isolated cases of a foot rash reported, foot blisters have yet to be confirmed as one of the main identified symptoms of the disease. COVID-19 is a respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus (Sars-Cov-2) which can cause inflammation to the respiratory tracts leading to patients finding it difficult to breath. A red rash has been observed on the torso of some patients, and some viruses (like chicken pox) are known to cause rashes to the skin, but it is too early to say whether these rashes are caused by COVID-19 or something else.
Dr Michael Head, Senior Research Fellow in Global Health at the University of Southampton, told BBC News that “With Covid-19, rashes and skin ulcers have been noted in a few per cent of hospitalised patients. We don’t yet know the extent of these links, or precisely why this inflammation occurs in some patients but not others.”
As the NHS says, children can get COVID-19, but they seem to get it less often than adults and it’s usually less serious. The main identified symptoms of COVID-19 are a high temperature and a new, continuous cough.
SOURCES
NHS: Check if you have coronavirus symptoms
WHO: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) disease advice for the public
Dr Michael Head in BBC News: Coronavirus: ‘Covid toe’ and other rashes puzzle doctors
Origins of Claim
FULL TEXT OF CLAIM
“My mum has sent me this from an expat website. As we’ve all got kids thought I’d pass it on as haber heard this at all
For all of you with kids in Spain my kid started to complain about his feet hurting..I didn’t give it any importance, he’s 14, growing pains I thought, and he’s gone a month without playing football for his team.
A week later he came to me and said “look at this”, and he showed me his feet. It was like he had frostbite all over his toes, they were purple with blisters, and the heels were full of red and purple circles, after talking to his pediatrician by phone, they sent us to emergency. The marks are of a kind of Covid 19 affecting only children. He has to be isolated. Please, keep your eyes open on your kids feet, if not, they can spread it without knowing. Thanks.”
