However, researchers recently claimed that asymptomatic cases also exist, and they come with their own set of symptoms.

And one of them is purple, painful toes.

A lot of recorded cases

This symptom is being reported in the United States, according to a report by USA Today.

According to the report, more than half of the American Academy of Dermatology's registry of skin manifestations associated with COVID-19 consist of the symptom now dubbed as 'COVID toes'.

Dr. Esther Freeman, director of Massachusetts General Hospital Global Health Dermatology, told the news portal that 'COVID toes' are “pernio-like lesions” pinkish-reddish in colour, and can turn purple over time.

They are also painful to the touch and could have a hot burning sensation, Dr Freeman added.

'COVID toes' reportedly appears early in the disease, where in some cases, it progresses and in other cases, it disappears without showing any other symptoms.

Children and young people are more suspectible to 'COVID toes', but it is not "exclusive to them", USA Today reported.

Researchers are currently still determining the cause of the symptom, but they came up with three theories: the virus causes general inflammation in the body, the virus causes inflammation in the walls of the blood vessels or the virus causes blood clots in the vessels of the skin.