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Between 5 and 20% of people who have an acute infection with Covid-19 or Long Covid may develop a skin infection. This usually disappears. But if the damage persists, it may be recognized as an occupational disease in the same way as Covid-19 as an “infectious disease”.
Symptoms can be inflammatory (e.g. hives) or vascular in the case of skin changes that mainly affect the vessels irrigating the skin. Especially with vascular involvement in the most severe cases, the skin symptoms can last for weeks or even months. “Covid toes”, reddish lesions on the toes, are one of the most common manifestations, especially in younger patients. The occurrence of certain skin symptoms may also be indicative of Kawasaki disease. Finally, a variety of skin changes may occur in Covid long, where healing is delayed with persistent symptoms. Hair loss is the most common symptom. An existing autoimmune disease may also appear for the first time or become worse, such as atopic eczema or psoriasis.
Since the German insurance system has already received about 366,000 reports of Covid-19 as occupational injuries (see EUROGIP Focus on recognition possibilities) and recognised more than half of the cases, “it can be assumed that a high number of insured persons will have skin symptoms caused by Covid-19”.
