In a press release, the National Union of Dermatologists-Venereologists (SNDV) explains that it organized a “WhatsApp group of more than 400 dermatologists (liberal and hospital-university)” who “highlighted skin lesions, whether or not associated with signs of Covid”.
“These are acrosyndromes (appearance of pseudo-frostbite of the extremities), sudden appearance of persistent, sometimes painful redness, and transient hives lesions”, details the SNDV, which judges “important for patients with skin problems of this type to consult a dermatologist”, remote or not.
“The analysis of the many cases reported to the SNDV shows that these manifestations can be associated“with coronavirus, say dermatologists.
“We alert the population and the medical profession in order to detect these potentially contagious patients as quickly as possible (without necessarily having respiratory signs)”, they conclude.
The French Society of Dermatology (SFD) for its part called “vigilance but also caution”, and “to the census and to the precise documentation of the cases observed in France” “before concluding a possible association and indicating a course of action”.
The association launched at the end of March a “call to case” after “some cases of red spots (erythema) on the face of patients infected with Covid-19”.
“While erythema of the face seems very rare, we have been reported fairly quickly, frostbite-like lesions, especially on the toes”, continues the SFD.
“No proof yet”
“The number of cases seems significant and the occurrence unusual in this season, but it should be noted that very few of these observations have been well documented with a Covid test, and most occur in patients without associated signs“, underlines the association.
“Among the rare documented cases, it seems that they occur rather late in the infection“, notes the SFD again. “To date, we do not yet have evidence to confirm that it is an early sign of Covid-19 which should lead to strongly suspect the diagnosis (as can be anosmia) and lead to isolation of the patient. “
The association invites to “pay attention to these skin signs and look for other clinical signs in the context”, but also to “stay cautious, because frostbite is not necessarily a sign of Covid”.
Tuesday evening, the Director General of Health, Jérôme Salomon, was evasive on this subject.
“Not to my knowledge”, he answered the question of whether one could consider certain dermatological problems like hives as new signs of the disease. “We learn every day about this virus and some describe forms that were not known. But on this dermatological aspect I have not seen any publication”, he said.
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