From the pandemic's outset, key COVID-19 symptoms like fever, persistent cough, and loss of taste or smell have been well-known. Over time, additional signs, such as 'purple toes,' have surfaced through clinical observations.
The COVID-19 pandemic has infected over 48 million people worldwide, claiming more than 1.2 million lives. In France, amid a surging second wave straining hospitals, the death toll exceeds 48,000, per Johns Hopkins University data.
Symptoms vary widely: severe cases involve breathing difficulties, speech or mobility loss; common ones include fever, dry cough, and fatigue. Less frequent are aches, diarrhea, headaches, conjunctivitis, sore throat, loss of taste/smell, and skin rashes.
Emerging research highlights more. Collaborative studies by the International League of Dermatological Societies and the American Academy of Dermatology identify 'purple toes' as a distinct sign.
Dermatologist Esther Freeman, MD, PhD, from Massachusetts General Hospital and study lead author, explains: "A subgroup of COVID-19 patients develops toe inflammation, turning them red and swollen before purpling."
From April to August 2020, over 1,000 COVID-related dermatological cases were documented across 39 countries, with nearly 60% showing these bluish toes.
Additional symptoms include hair loss, noted in Indiana University research among 1,567 participants—27% (423 individuals) reported it, echoing reports from figures like actress Alyssa Milano.
Rare cases feature sudden permanent hearing loss, detailed in BMJ Case Reports, and persistent hiccups for four days in a 62-year-old man progressing to severe COVID-19, per The American Journal of Emergency Medicine.
