'Covid arm' explained
Another type is called delayed, delayed-type, or cell-mediated cutaneous hypersensitivity. This results from the actions of immune cells called T cells and, as its name implies, takes a little while to emerge. In this case, a little while can mean, wait for, wait for it, one or more days.reported on 12 patients who developed such rashes after getting the Moderna Covid-19 vaccines.
A “Covid arm” from the first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine is not a reason to avoid a second dose. Half of the 12 patients did not end up having a “Covid arm” after the second dose. Of the remaining six, three had repeats of the “Covid arm” and three had less severe versions of the “Covid arm.” Repeat episodes happened one to three days after the second dose of the vaccine, sooner than the initial episodes did.
Calling the delayed-type cutaneous hypersensitivity a “Covid arm” is not that accurate. That would be like calling an arm injury suffered from holding the TV remote control a “Keeping Up with Kardashians” arm. After all, the Covid-19 coronavirus isn’t causing the rash. The Moderna or Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccines do not actually contain the virus.