"I Didn't Even Know I Was Infected"... Finger Turned Black and Was Amputated Due to Post-COVID Sequelae

An elderly person's finger blackened and necrotized due to post-COVID-19 complications. Photo by the European Journal of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, captured from a news report.

[Asia Economy Reporter Nahana] As a sequela of COVID-19, an elderly man's fingers in Italy turned black and became necrotic.

According to Italian media on the 11th (local time), an 86-year-old man in Italy had three of his fingers amputated after they became necrotic following a COVID-19 infection.

A hospital official stated that the man's finger blood vessels became necrotic due to a "cytokine storm."

A cytokine storm is a phenomenon where immune substances called cytokines are excessively secreted, attacking normal cells, and has been identified as one of the causes that worsen the condition of COVID-19 patients.

Until now, the specific reason why such an excessive inflammatory response occurs in COVID-19 patients has not been known.

The elderly man was unaware that he was infected with COVID-19 at the time of infection. He did not have basic symptoms of COVID-19 such as fever or cough. However, as his fingers turned black and necrosis progressed, he visited the hospital and was diagnosed with COVID-19.

Meanwhile, this is not the first time a COVID-19 patient has had fingers amputated.

In February, a 54-year-old man living in California, USA, who was diagnosed with COVID-19 after a ski trip in northern Italy, had two fingers amputated due to muscle damage.

Also, a man from Cardiff, Wales, had his left thumb amputated after a COVID-19 infection.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.