While common COVID-19 symptoms including fever, coughing and fatigue are well known, The AM Show hosts have discovered another gross side effect.
"COVID toe" is a strange coronavirus symptom that emerged at the height of the pandemic last year, where agonising purple or red lesions appear on toes or fingers. A study published this week says COVID toe is believed to be an aftereffect of the body converting itself to attack and fend off the virus.
Host Ryan Bridge shared images of the symptom with his co-hosts and viewers during Thursday's edition of The AM Show.
"It looks a bit like athletes foot on some toes," he said.
"The interesting thing about it, they say… those that have COVID toe often don't have any other symptoms.
"Forget about the rapid antigen testing - just get your toes out and see if you've got COVID."
The images of the unusual symptom left co-hosts Amanda Gillies and Nicky Styris disturbed.
"How weird," Gillies said. "There is nothing sexy about toes… it's not the most attractive part of the body."
"I don't think there are any attractive toes on your feet," Styris added.
COVID toe isn't listed as a coronavirus symptom on New Zealand's Ministry of Health website, nor the US' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But Public Health England lists "a skin rash or dicolouration of fingers or toes" as symptoms, albeit less common ones.
British Skin Foundation spokeswoman Veronique Bataille said COVID toe has become less common since the emergence of the Delta variant - the strain currently circulating in New Zealand.
Dr Bataille told the BBC vaccination has also made the symptom more scarce.
