Covid Toe

[Bunnybigears]

My 13 year old has hot, red, swollen, itchy toes and has for the past 2 days. 111 have advised booking a covid test despite no other symptoms so we are going this afternoon. I am 90% sure it won't be Covid, he hasn't been anywhere for days. My question is if it isn't covid toe does anyone know what it could be?!

Athlete’s foot?

@feesh I dont think so, the only athletes foot I've experienced comes with cracking between the toes which he doesnt have. I have made sure he is keeping them clean and dry and letting them air as much as possible just in case but it doesn't look like typical athletes foot to me.

Raynauds? Chilblains?

It's chilblains. I just had it. It could also be a covid symptom.

Chilblains. My DD often gets them.

I'm in Scotland so obviously different but can I ask why you use 111 and not your GP surgery?

Covid toes can present after infection I think?

If it goes away eventually with no other intervention them my money would be on COVID!

Chilblains? Funnily enough two of my DSs have them at the moment despite never ever having them before - they had Covid just before Christmas

@yankeedoodledandee I used 111 because I used 111 online to look up the symptoms and after answering various questions it suggested I get a call back from a nurse.

If it is chilblains is there anything he can do/take to relieve symptoms. He says the itchiness keeps him awake at night.

Yes chilblains

I have had some recently and they can be associated with covid. Toes most common but fingers too.

Keep warm and don’t scratch

Resist the urge to wear those fluffy types of socks you get for Christmas, wear cotton or wool.

Keep the body warm. You can use any lotion to help with itches I think.

I used 111 because I used 111 online to look up the symptoms and after answering various questions it suggested I get a call back from a nurse.

Ah I see, so you can use the 111 nurse instead of the GP practice nurse? Ours is just out of hours!

I had covid toes, they were very, very red, but not painful. swollen or itchy, they looked like I'd stepped in a bath of really hot water, but more exaggerated IYSWIM. It does sound more like chilblains.

We used to pee on our fingers if we had chilblains on our fingers back in the 60s/early 70s!

I posted about this last night! My 12 yr old has the same. No itching though. One lump appeared in morning and a 2nd in the evening. Looks like chilblains but I took her for a test today just in case. Strange though as she hasn't left house in days so no extreme temperature to cause chilblains. And she also hadn't mingled for weeks. I do wonder if she had covid early December with hindsight as she had a hefty exposure at school. But I'd still think this was quite late to be getting a rash. Anyway good luck with test results!

All three of my children have had swollen sore red toes over the course of the last month or so (none have had this before). I did take one for a test before Christmas and I tested too but the results were negative. I would say they are like chilblains, but can't see them having been in conditions to cause chilblains.

You can get cream

Sudocrem can be used on chillblains. I've really suffered with them this year but our house has been freezing and I hadn't been wearing slippers. Bloody awful things. Snowfire is also good.

Chilblains. I get them every winter on my fingers and toes. It happens when your hands and feet are cold and then warm up too quickly. Get him some really thick socks to regulate temperature.

My son had this back at the beginning of covid and I'm sure it was covid toes.

He has another spot now, despite being in the house since school ended before christmas!

@Soutiner

We used to pee on our fingers if we had chilblains on our fingers back in the 60s/early 70s!

Haha, yes. My grandmother used to encourage us to pee in a potty and soak our toes when we had chilblains as children back then. I was a bit of a prissy child and not at all keen on the idea, but there's no doubt that it worked

Covid toes are a sign of Covid (DS2 developed them - I had ignored tiredness, GI symptoms) especially in teens. By the time they appear it is usually too late to test.

Do you have any photos?

These are DS2

Sounds like chillbleins, my son gets them exactly as you describe, often after being outside in snow, ice etc (even with wool socks and boots on) . Keep the feet moisturised, this is what the doc advised my son for chillbleins.

They are exactly like chilblain lesions but occur unexpectedly - DS2 pics were taken in September. Ie. no exposure to cold weather.

@keeponkeeping how long after other symptoms did your dc get the spotty toes? I wonder if my dd had covid early December as had week of headaches and her asthma got worse. I would have expected that if her current toe spots were linked, they would have come up sooner? My ds (2) also had spotty toes in March after bring viral for weeks.

My DS1 19 has 2 swollen toes. Hasn't been anywhere but home with the occasional venture out to the shops. The skin is red and swollen but not broken or itchy. I'm slightly horrified it could be COVID. I've just had a negative test myself.