Professor Tim Spector, who heads up the ZOE Covid symptoms app, said five variations of marks on the fingernails could be an indicator to show whether you’ve beaten the deadly virus
Covid nails are a telltale sign to show whether you’ve had the virus or not, an expert has said. Prof Tim Spector initially tweeted back in May that five variations of marks on the fingernails could be an indicator to show whether you’ve beaten the deadly virus.
The professor, who is also lead researcher of the ZOE Symptom Study App, said: “Do your nails look odd? Covid nails are increasingly being recognised as the nails recover after infection and the growth recovers leaving a clear line.
“Can occur without skin rashes and appears harmless.”
Another expert told Birmingham Live: “There’s another part of the body where the virus appears to have an impact: the fingernails.
“Currently, the available evidence suggests that there’s no association between the severity of Covid-19 infection and the type or extent of nail changes.”
The horizontal lines are known as ‘Mees lines,’ or ‘Beau’s lines,’ essentially indentations that run across the nails because of a viral illness.
Grooves across the fingernails, around 5mm from the nail bed, are also a common indicator.
A half moon which is visibly red in colour can also be significant.
And so can orange nail tips , with discolouration presenting in patients on the continent.
The final sign is nail lifting , or onychomadesis , which is the loss of a nail from its root without any pain or swelling.
Professor Spector said that the difference can happen even if you did not experience any other symptoms of Covid-19.
Dr Tanya Bleiker, president of the British Association of Dermatologists, explained to the Oxford Mail in May: “Dermatologists are seeing ‘Covid nails’ in some patients who have had an infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for Covid 19.
“They are caused by a temporary interruption of the growth of the nail due to a number of causes including febrile illnesses such as Covid-19 infection.
“These indents tend to appear two to three weeks after the illness – longer in toenails.
“They are harmless and grow out with time – often surprisingly a few months.”
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