By Adam Cohen and Dr. Eliza Chakravarty Special to The Oklahoman Adam’s Journal My toenails are usually pretty chewed up from running. (Yes, I know — gross.) But I recently heard about a new condition that sounds like it takes a similar, disfiguring toll: COVID-19 nails. What’s the story, and are gnarly nails another signal you may have had the virus? Dr. Chakravarty Prescribes Many illnesses and infections can cause surprising changes to your nails. Researchers are collecting data on dermatological side effects of COVID-19, including reports of a nail deformation known as “Beau’s lines.” These harmless lines are deep grooves that span the width of the nail. They occur when there is an interruption in normal nail growth. Various conditions that cause stress to the body can cause such a disruption, including an illness with high fever, heart attack, injury to a nail, surgery, chemotherapy, and even severe emotional trauma.