Is Rash Becoming a More Common Symptom of COVID?

Most people who get infected with COVID nowadays may experience symptoms that are not so different from earlier iterations of the virus, including cough, sore throat, fever, and runny nose.

While less common, you may also want to be on the lookout for symptoms affecting your skin. For some people, skin issues such as rashes may be the only indication of a COVID infection, according to the American Academy of Dermatology Association (AAD). But any instances of rash are not considered a “new” COVID symptom, and experts aren’t convinced COVID is always the cause of rash occurring alongside it.

“Rash associated with COVID-19 is not a new thing,” Susan McLellan, MD, MPH, medical director of the Biocontainment Care Unit and director of Biosafety for Research-related Infectious Pathogens at UTMB Health, told Verywell in an email. “It’s important to understand that respiratory viruses, including coronaviruses which circulated prior to SARS-CoV-2, frequently produce mild rashes, with or without notable respiratory symptoms.”

What Does a COVID Rash Look Like And Where Is It Most Likely To Show Up? 

COVID rashes can appear in many different ways. They may range from itchy bumps and blotches to a web-like rash or even involve a little skin peeling, Linda Yancey, MD, infectious disease specialist, Memorial Hermann Health System in Houston, told Verywell in an email. 

The AAD reports rashes can also appear as a patchy rash, blisters that look like chickenpox, round, pinpoint spots on the skin, large patches with smaller ones, a lace-like pattern on the skin, or even flat spots and raised bumps that join together.

It’s important to recognize that COVID rash symptoms can vary significantly from one individual to another, David Cutler, MD, family medicine physician at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California, told Verywell.

“The particular way a rash appears probably has the most to do not with the infection, but with the body’s immune reaction that human beings will elicit,” he said. “That will have a great bearing on what a rash looks like, rather than the infection agent itself—whether it’s a cold virus, a flu virus, scarlet fever, or COVID.”

He added that a person’s age, race, and underlying skin problems impact how a rash appears, too.

In general, COVID rashes can appear on any part of the body, Yancey said, though they tend to manifest on the hands, feet/toes, chest, stomach, or back.

Why COVID Might Cause a Rash

According to Yancey, several viral illnesses are associated with rash, such as chickenpox, measles, and shingles.

“They are most likely a side effect of the immune response to the infection itself,” she said.

Higher levels of an antibody called immunoglobulin E, also known as IgE, might also be responsible for COVID-related rashes, Cutler said. This is common in people with allergies; the immune system overreacts to an allergen by producing IgE antibodies, creating an allergic reaction (like a rash) as a side effect.

“IgE latches onto immune cells. An infectious agent like COVID causes cells containing IgE to release chemicals—one of which is histamine, causing a rash,” Cutler said.

Other types of antibodies, such as immunoglobulin G (IgG) and immunoglobulin M (IgM), may also react with COVID to cause a rash, he added.

In general, more research is needed to determine how and why COVID rashes occur.

Who Is Most Likely to Develop a COVID Rash?

Yancey said patients with underlying dermatologic or autoimmune issues may have a higher likelihood of developing a rash in response to an infection because their immune systems may react more sensitively to the infection. Generally, anyone who is immunocompromised may also be at risk for more severe symptoms.

However, Cutler and McLellan said there’s not enough data to suggest which groups are most at risk of developing a rash.

“There are millions of people who get COVID every day who don’t get a rash, and I don’t know if there’s anything unique about the people that do get COVID rashes,” Cutler said. “You can’t just draw conclusions from the very select group of people that are being seen that have COVID rashes because it represents a fairly small minority of those people with COVID. Most people with COVID don’t get any rash whatsoever.”

Is Rash Becoming a More Common Symptom of COVID? 

Although COVID patients can develop a rash, Yancey said that such occurrences are relatively rare and uncommon.

Cutler added that rashes have not become any more prevalent than they were previously with earlier variants, and no studies have documented an increased occurrence.

The main evidence of COVID rashes are “anecdotal reports,” McLellan said, making it challenging to determine the true prevalence of COVID-related rashes.

“We have no way of knowing prevalence; whether COVID rash is more common or just more talked about is impossible to tell,” McLellan said. “When you are dealing with social media, sometimes topics just take off.”

NOTE: Out of the six healthcare providers contacted by Verywell, four responded and reported that they have not observed any increase in COVID-related rashes. 

What to Do If You Have a Rash 

The primary thing that can cure the viral rash is time. However, there are some measures you can take to ease rash-related symptoms like itching, dryness, or flaking. 

According to McLellan and Cutler, these remedies include: 

• Low-grade steroids like hydrocortisone lotions or creams
• Other over-the-counter moisturizers and creams like Benadryl lotion and Calamine lotion
• Oral antihistamines like Claritin and Benadryl Allergy 
• Cold or warm compresses 

If rash-like symptoms do not improve, seek care from your primary care provider or dermatologist. 

The information in this article is current as of the date listed, which means newer information may be available when you read this. For the most recent updates on COVID-19, visit our coronavirus news page.