The skin condition known as "Covid toe" may be a side effect of the immune system's response to fighting the virus, according to a study.

Symptoms result in inflammation and redness in the hands and feet, which sometimes last for months. It usually develops within a week to four weeks after infection and can result in swollen or differently colored toes and fingers.

The researchers of the study, which is published in the British Journal of Dermatology, examined 50 participants with the condition and 13 others with spots and rashes on the skin which appeared before the pandemic.

They observed a mechanism behind both types of condition that generated an immune response with high levels of certain autoantibodies, which mistakenly target and react with a person’s cells and tissues, as well as the invading virus.

In addition to the immune system, the vascular cells that supply the affected areas also appear to play a critical role in the development of symptoms affecting the toes.

The researchers said that the symptoms, in most cases, go away without any treatment, while some patients have to use creams and medications.