Doctors say they're inundated with calls about COVID toes from people with no other symptoms

Doctors say they are being overwhelmed by calls from people whose only sign of the novel coronavirus is bruising and lesions on the feet.

The mysterious symptom is called ‘COVID toes’ and they’ve primarily been spotted in children and teenagers.

Even more surprising, it’s been in the absence of other traditional symptoms such as fever, coughing and shortness of breath.

Despite the rising number of cases across the US and the world, rashes are not included on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s official list of symptoms.

A new symptom of the coronavirus – bruising, rashes and lesions on the feet – has been dubbed ‘COVID toes’ (pictured)

COVID toes (left and right) generally appear in children and teenagers who don’t have any other symptoms such as fever or coughing. Doctors say they’re being inundated with calls about toe rashes, but don’t know what causes the symptom

Dr Lindy Fox, a dermatologist with the University of California San Francisco, told Fox 5 NY that she’s seen ‘many, many people’ with COVID toes.

‘Almost too many to count,’ she told the local news station.

‘Dermatologists are being inundated with calls from people saying: “What are these purple changes on my toes and fingers?”‘

Pink and purple toes were first spotted among infected people in Europe, primarily Spain, Italy and France.

Some health experts say it may be a sign of how widespread and fast-spreading the disease is.

‘It’s becoming a sign that COVID-19 may be more prevalent in our society than we actually realized,’ Dr Fox, a member of the COVID-19 task force for the American Academy of Dermatology, told Fox 5 NY.

So why are people developing rash and discoloration on their feet?

Doctors say that it’s actually common for people to develop rashes when they’re battling infections, especially viral respiratory infections like COVID-19.

It’s unclear what causes the skin reaction but it could be several reasons including tiny clots in the toes’ blood vessels or a response to antibiotics.

‘It’s not uncommon for someone to have a viral infection and have a rash or blotchy areas on their body,’ pulmonologist Dr Humberto Choi, of the Cleveland Clinic, said in a blog post.