HYDERABAD: We are a little over a year into the pandemic and it has been established that Covid-19 has some long-term effects on the body — rashes and blips on the skin, fatigue, hair loss and body pains.But of late, there has been a lot of talk on ‘Covid nails’. Social media is abuzz with posts warning netizens of some visible changes in the nails of patients in recovery. It all started when British epidemiologist and science writer Tim Spector recently posted a picture of a person’s finger nails bearing horizontal ridges and a red half moon at the tips.
“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 (sic),” he captioned it. And started the frenzy — people posting pictures of their nails on social media, seeking ‘advice’ from fellow users on whether such nails are a sign of the virus’ presence in the body, so on and so forth.
Fret not. This piece attempts to clear the air about this ‘new-found’ impact the virus may have on your nails. According to doctors in the city, any long-term illness has such late manifestations on the body. “Covid nails is not a different disease or complication, but a late manifestation which is usually seen after two-three weeks of the illness,” says Dr Jagadeesh Kumar V, consultant physician at AIG Hospitals.
This condition is called Beau’s lines, wherein nails develop horizontal dents or grooves as a sign of severe or prolonged illness. “It’s a self-improving condition which needs no treatment and is directly proportional to one’s overall wellbeing,” he says.
In fact, any viral or bacterial infection can cause Beau’s lines. “This is not specific to Covid-19 and there’s no specific treatment for it. It just depends on how well you nourish yourself while you are recovering,” says Dr Swapna Priya, consultant dermatologist at Care Hospitals in Banjara Hills. Finger nails usually take two months to get back to their original form, while the toe nails take three-four months.
In short, when one is unwell for a long period of time (a month and more) their nutrition levels drop, which reflects on their nails and hair. In the case of hair, they suffer extreme hair loss. The doctors strongly advice that people should not panic when they come across such posts in their social media feed. It is a common phenomenon when bodily functions are compromised due to prolonged illnesses. And, everything cannot be linked to Covid-19.
Sign of illness
Social media is abuzz with posts warning netizens of some visible changes in the nails of Covid patients in recovery. It all started when British epidemiologist and science writer Tim Spector recently posted a picture of a person’s finger nails bearing horizontal ridges and a red half moon at the tips. This condition is called Beau’s lines, wherein nails develop horizontal dents or grooves as a sign of severe or prolonged illness. And, it is not specific to Covid, say city doctors
— Himabindu Reddy
himabindugopinath@newindianexpress.com
@himureddy