Thread by @1goodtern

Covid infections make every single part of your body vulnerable to new problems.

Whatever age you are.

But let's pick *one* part of your body, the skin.
You'd be surprised how much harm Covid is doing.

I'm just going to throw a few charts up here of 'hospital episodes' for individual skin conditions that show the last 12 years of data.
(Hospital episodes are not *cases*, they are the number of times someone interacts with a hospital for treatment)

Here's a few different conditions across a few ages.
From top left: Herpes in 18-45s
Viral warts 18-65s
Dermatophytosis 18-45s
Bacterial infections of skin Under 10s
Other mycobacterial infections of skin 18-65s
Mycetoma Under 18s.

Scabies under 10s
Impetigo 18-65s
Other skin infestations 18-65s
Scabies under 18s
Irritant contact dermatitis 18-65s
Other acanthylotic disorders 18-65s

Why did I include scabies there?

Because **kids don't normally need hospital treatment for scabies**.

Needing hospital treatment for scabies as a kid is a sign that your skin is not functioning properly, or you have an immune system problem.

Malignant skin melanoma Under 18s
Other malignant neoplasms of skin 18-65s
Melanocytic naevi Under 18s
Malignant skin melanoma 18-65s
Other malignant neoplasms of skin 18-45s
Melanocytic naevi 18-45s

Other disorders of pigmentation U18s
Seborrheic Keratosis 18-65
Skin changes due to chronic exposure to nonionizing radiation 18-45
Hypertrichosis 18-45s
Cicatricial alopecia 18-45s
Follicular cysts of skin and subcutaneous tissue 18-45s

Other disorders of pigmentation 18-65s
Vitiligo - 18-45s
Other localized connective tissue disorders U18s
Epidermal thickening 18-65
Pyoderma gangrenosum 18-45
Alopecia Areata U18s

Other dermatitis 18-45
Atopic dermatitis 18-65
Atrophic disorders of skin U18
Atopic dermatitis 18-45s
Other Bullous disorders 18-65
Other dermatitis U18

I could keep stacking these charts up and up and up.

Microclots reducing bloodflow to skin, reduction of T-cells causing poor immune system response, mitochondrial damage reducing cell repair, chronic inflammation speeding tissue ageing…

... these are just some of the reasons why Covid infection harms your skin, and these graphs are just some of the results.

When your skin’s blood supply falters, healing slows.
When immune signalling breaks, dormant viruses reactivate.
When oxidative stress rises, collagen breaks down faster.

Since 2021 we’ve seen rises in viral warts, benign skin growths, chronic UV damage, rosacea, connective-tissue disorders, dermatitis of various kinds, atrophic disorders, epidermal thickening, alopecia, keratosis, and loads more.

The skin reflects what’s happening inside: inflammation, vascular injury, and immune collapse showing up where everyone can see it.