Scientists are urging the government to add a new coronavirus symptom to the official list.
They believe developing a skin rash is a common symptom of Covid-19.
Officials in the UK don't recognise any symptoms other than coughing, fever and a lost sense of taste or smell.
According to the NHS, most people with coronavirus have at least one of these symptoms.
But there are many others that people suffer regularly.
And now experts believe skin rashes should be added to the list.
Many people tested positive for the virus are reporting having a body rash, or a rash on fingers or toes, according to the British Association of Dermatologists.
Meanwhile, data from the Covid Symptom Study app found that 9 per cent of swab-tested users with Covid-19 reported one of the types of rashes.
The research found that the rashes are twice as common in children as adults.
The Dermatology association is now saying that this suggests “rashes are a key symptom of Covid”.
Dr Tanya Bleiker, President of the British Association of Dermatologists, said: "The association between certain rashes and Covid-19 has become increasingly clear, and being able to recognise these is crucial for reducing the spread of the disease."
Dermatologists are worried that if rashes aren’t added to the list, many people with no other symptoms could be spreading the virus unknowingly.
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Especially because in many users who gave a positive nasal swab, a rash was the only sign of infection.
Veronique Bataille, consultant dermatologist, who led the Covid skin research, said: “We have created this Covid-19 rash gallery so that clinicians and any interested parties can have access to it and help them identify potential Covid-19 rashes."
She continued: "Our research shows that rashes can be more predictive of Covid-19 than fever and cough, particularly in children.
"We found that one in six children gets a rash without any other classical symptoms.
"For most, Covid-19 rashes last for a few weeks and eventually disappear. In some cases, prescribed medication may be needed if the rash is very itchy.”
Emerging evidence shows the symptoms people experience when they catch coronavirus vary by age.
While middle-aged and older people - the group most likely to be admitted to hospital - often have the tell-tale cough or fever, others have them less often.
Young adults appear to often have no symptoms at all or to have just a mild flu-like illness.
What are the main symptoms of coronavirus:
- a high temperature – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
- a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual)
- a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – this means you've noticed you cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal
To protect others, do not go to places like a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital if you have any of these symptoms. Stay at home (self-isolate) and get a test.
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