How to differentiate skin lesions caused by COVID-19 itself from those secondary to drug hypersensitivity during the treatment of the disease?
COVID-19-induced skin lesions can be related to thrombovascular events (i.e. petechiae, acro-ischemia, dry gangrene) or to typical viral infections (i.e. erythematous rash, urticaria, maculopapular exanthema).146 Drug hypersensitivity has to be considered as a differential diagnosis, mainly in the second group, being a distinction difficult during the acute phase. Diagnosis relies mostly on clinical observations. In that regard, an accurate chronology of the reaction and the drug exposure timeline is very informative52. Laboratory and histopathological findings may also help.