Cutaneous manifestations and SARS-CoV-2 infection

The emergence of the novel SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus and rapid spread of the COVID-19 disease it causes in late 2019 and early 2020 has since led to a global pandemic announced by the World Health Organization (WHO). The pandemic is a steadily growing social, economic, psychological, and health burden. The infection rates worldwide are climbing. COVID-19 is considered a systemic disease, potentially resulting in acute respiratory distress and cardiovascular failure leading to death. Yet, SARS-CoV-2, a novel and still under-studied virus, has been documented to cause a large variety of symptoms, in many cases including cutaneous manifestations.

This paper is a review of medical literature available to date regarding the cutaneous manifestations in the course of SARS-CoV-2 infection. It is also aimed at discussing the significance of dermatological findings for improved diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19 patients. Considering the gravity of the novel coronavirus pandemic, an improved dermatological approach would aid timely diagnosis and effective management of COVID-19, and would facilitate classification of the cutaneous abnormalities observed.