Dermatologists are seeing some skin, hair and toe problems in COVID-19 long-haul patients, according to Dr. Anand Rajpara, medical director of dermatology at the University of Kansas Health System.
He said “COVID toes” are common among some of the patients. Five to 10 percent of the patients with “COVID toes” have symptoms that persist longer than two months, he said.
Those who have “COVID toes” have a rash caused by tiny blood clots in the toes, which cause painful purple spots. It is a problem that causes discomfort and pain, and sometimes impedes walking, but it is expected to go away after some months, according to Dr. Rajpara. Before COVID-19, it has been seen before in the winter and also in lupus patients.
It’s treated with calcium channel blockers, which help improve blood flow.
Also, a lot of COVID-19 long-haul patients have hair loss, which could be due to COVID and the severe emotional stress the patients are facing, such as loss of a loved one.
Dr. Rajpara said when there are severe emotional stress or physical illness, the system is shocked and the body can go into conservation mode to save energy, and it stops non-essential functions such as hair growth.
It could take six to 12 months for the hair to fully regrow again, and it isn’t permanent, he said.
Dr. Rajpara said the vaccine doesn’t cause hair loss or nail problems, but stress causes it. Some patients get a slight temporary rash around a vaccine injection site, he said. Rashes are generally mild and minimal, he said. A rash has been seen with the Moderna vaccine, in about 1 percent or less of patients. A preservative used in the vaccine could cause a “COVID arm” reaction in a very small number of people, but the vaccines are safe, he said.
He said there are five rashes people can get from COVID-19. The best way to prevent the symptoms is to get vaccinated, he added. COVID-19 patients can get the chicken pox rash, vesicular rash that has fluid-filled bubbles over the skin, viral exanthem, and livedo reticularis rash, along with “COVID-toes.”
The same things that happen with hair, a slowing of growth, also happen with nails, he said, with some resulting in depressions in the nails for COVID-19 patients, he said.
Dr. Dana Hawkinson said overall, the vaccines will improve quality of life and extend life because people won’t have severe disease from COVID-19, and will avoid death.
Dr. Hawkinson also said a new study has shown that there was a more than 10 times reduction in the number of vaccinated nursing home patients getting COVID-19. Previously, nursing home patients had the highest rate of deaths from COVID-19. The vaccine is working and they are not seeing many 70 and 80-year-olds in the hospital from COVID-19 now, he added.
He also said the Pfizer vaccine has been approved to be kept refrigerated for a month after being thawed, which should help pharmacies, clinics and mobile distribution units.
Dr. Steve Stites, chief medical officer, said the COVID-19 vaccine should not be blamed for everything. Diseases happen all the time every day, he said. The question is, would that condition have happened anyway, whether the person got a vaccine or not, he said.
Scientists have studied the data, and people who are vaccinated do not have a higher rate of disease than those who aren’t vaccinated, Dr. Stites said.
He added that he felt sick for about 24 hours after he got the vaccine, but after that, he was fine. The effects of getting COVID-19 can be a lot worse.
Dr. Hawkinson said they currently have an asymptomatic person in the 40s with COVID-19 who had been vaccinated, and he was being screened for another procedure at the hospital when COVID-19 was detected. Four of the seven active patients haven’t been vaccinated, while one had only one dose of the vaccine. Another is fully vaccinated, but had COVID-19 in December and now possibly has a reinfection.
Free vaccinations available Friday
Free walk-in COVID-19 vaccinations will be available for everyone 12 and older from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Friday, May 21, at the Kansas National Guard Armory, 100 S. 20th, (near 18th and Ridge), Kansas City, Kansas, and at the former Kmart, 7836 State Ave., Kansas City, Kansas. People also can schedule vaccinations at WycoVaccines.org.
The former Best Buy at 10500 Parallel Parkway, Kansas City, Kansas, will be closed on Thursday.
The schedule of vaccinations changed recently. To see the new schedule and more information about vaccinations, visit WycoVaccines.org or https://www.facebook.com/UGHealthDept.
Those who receive vaccinations are asked to consider bringing an ID to make the process go faster.
The Health Department is doing more mobile vaccinations, and people may request vaccines to be given at different sites in the community by going to WycoVaccines.org and clicking on “mobile vaccine request.” People also may request a ride to vaccination sites on the same page.
UG Health Department vaccinations are now open to people from other counties and states. People may walk in for vaccinations or can schedule them.
Those who wish to schedule an appointment may use the Health Department’s self-scheduling tool at WycoVaccines.org and click on a blue button that says, “Click here to schedule an appointment online.” The page is available in Spanish by clicking at the top of the page. Walk-in appointments also are welcome.
Those who don’t have an internet connection may call 3-1-1 or 913-573-5311 for assistance in scheduling their vaccination appointment time and date.
To see more information about Health Department vaccinations and next week’s schedule, visit WycoVaccines.org.
Other sites available for vaccinations
Vaccinations at KU Health System are open to the public. Current patients may use MyChart to make an appointment. Others may call 913-588-1227 or visit kansashealthsystem.com/vaccine to make an appointment to get vaccinated. KU Health System currently is vaccinating residents of Kansas and Missouri who are 12 or older, by appointment only. Those under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian throughout the appointment.
There are also pharmacies giving free COVID-19 vaccinations in Wyandotte County by appointment, when available. These include Price Chopper and Hen House pharmacies, which are now also accepting walk-in vaccinations or appointments, and are starting vaccinations for age 12 and up at those pharmacies that are giving Pfizer vaccine (see https://www.ballsfoodspharmacy.com/).
CVS has announced walk-in appointments for COVID-19 vaccine at some of its stores. Those interested in getting a vaccination at a CVS pharmacy are asked to visit a CVS website in order to make sure there is vaccine available. The website is at www.cvs.com/. Walgreens and Walmart also were listed on www.vaccines.gov as giving vaccinations.
Other pharmacies and sites giving vaccines are listed at www.vaccines.gov.
Case numbers reported
The University of Kansas Health System reported that the number of COVID-19 inpatients has dropped. Seven persons with the active virus were being treated on Thursday, a decrease of four since Wednesday, according to Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control. Two of those patients were in the intensive care unit, no change since Wednesday. Both of those patients were on a ventilator, no change from Wednesday. There were an additional 13 patients still hospitalized because of COVID-19, but out of the acute infection phase, an increase of six since Wednesday. There were a total of 20 COVID-19 patients, an increase of two since Wednesday.
Wyandotte County reported an increase of six COVID-19 cases on Thursday, May 20, for a cumulative 18,673 cases, according to the Unified Government Health Department’s COVID-19 webpage. There was a cumulative total of 292 deaths reported, no change.
The UG Health Department reported 31.44 percent of Wyandotte County residents, or 52,015, have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. About 26.08 percent, or 43,148, were fully vaccinated. Of Wyandotte County residents age 12 and up, 38.7 percent had at least one dose.
The Mid-America Regional Council’s COVID-19 dashboard reported 173,507 cumulative COVID-19 cases, an increase of 117. The daily average of new hospitalizations was 58.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported 312,591 cumulative COVID-19 cases in Kansas on Wednesday, May 19, an increase of 518 cases since Monday, May 17. There were a total cumulative 5,053 deaths reported statewide, an increase of 13.
Johnson County had a cumulative 58,864 cases on Wednesday, an increase of 188 since Monday, according to the KDHE. Leavenworth County had a cumulative 7,238 cases on Wednesday, an increase of one case since Monday. Sedgwick County had a cumulative 56,960 cases on Wednesday, an increase of 122 since Monday.
The Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 dashboard on Thursday night reported 33,056,295 cumulative COVID-19 cases in the United States, with 588,536 total deaths reported nationwide. There were 29,293 new cases nationwide and 655 new deaths nationwide.
States with the highest number of new cases were Florida, 2,811; Texas, 2,022; Michigan, 1,950; Illinois, 1,625; and California, 1,462.
Countries with the highest number of new cases were India, 276,110; Brazil, 79,219; Argentina, 39,652; U.S., 29,293; and France, 19,057, according to Johns Hopkins information
Free testing available Friday
Free COVID-19 testing will be available from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Friday, May 21, at the National Guard Armory, 100 S. 20th, (near 18th and Ridge), Kansas City, Kansas, and at the former Kmart, 7836 State Ave., Kansas City, Kansas. For more information about UG Health Department COVID-19 testing sites and hours, visit https://wyandotte-county-covid-19-hub-unifiedgov.hub.arcgis.com/pages/what-to-do-if-you-think-you-have-covid-19. To see if there is any change to the schedule, visit https://www.facebook.com/UGHealthDept. Appointments are not needed.
One of the WellHealth sites for free COVID-19 testing is open beginning at 8 a.m. Friday, May 21, at Lowe’s at 6920 State Ave., Kansas City, Kansas. Appointments are required. For more information, to see other testing sites and to make an appointment, visit https://www.gogettested.com/kansas.
The Health Department’s general contact page is at https://www.wycokck.org/Health/Contact.aspx. The department’s Facebook page is at https://www.facebook.com/UGHealthDept.
Testing sites are at https://wyandotte-county-covid-19-hub-unifiedgov.hub.arcgis.com/pages/what-to-do-if-you-think-you-have-covid-19. There are more test sites listed on this page.
Saliva testing is now offered at the UG Health Department. For more information, visit https://alpha.wycokck.org/files/assets/public/health/documents/covid/02042021-ugphd-saliva-testing-available.pdf.
The KU doctors’ news conference is at https://www.facebook.com/kuhospital/videos/1386103161772554.
The University of Kansas Health System COVID-19 update page is at https://www.facebook.com/kuhospital/videos/330310795391910.
A vaccine report for the state of Kansas is at
https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/DocumentCenter/View/123/Vaccine-Historical-Document-22521?bidId=.
Information about the mask ordinance passed April 29, which loosened restrictions in Wyandotte County, is online at https://alpha.wycokck.org/files/assets/public/health/documents/covid/updatedwycomaskorder04302021.pdf. The mask order is online at https://alpha.wycokck.org/files/assets/public/health/documents/covid/amend-lho-may-6-2021.pdf.
The KDHE’s COVID-19 webpage is at https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/.
The KC Region COVID-19 Hub dashboard is at https://marc2.org/covidhub/.
The Wyandotte County page on the Johns Hopkins COVID-19 website is at https://bao.arcgis.com/covid-19/jhu/county/20209.html.
The Johns Hopkins Data in Motion, a presentation on critical COVID-19 data in the past 24 hours, is at https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/covid-19-daily-video.