A new study, published in the British Journal of Dermatology, suggests that COVID toe may be a side effect of the body’s immune response to fight the coronavirus.

Researchers assessed 50 individuals with COVID toes and 13 people with similar chilblain lesions that developed prior to the pandemic. They noted one mechanism in both the conditions involved an immune response with raised levels of certain autoantibodies, which target an individual’s own cells and tissues besides the virus. Additionally, there was an overlap with type I interferon, a pivotal protein in the antiviral response. The cells that line the blood vessels supplying the affected areas were also found to play a key role in the development of COVID toes and chilblains… (The Guardian, October 6, 2021)