What could GPs be missing in masked consults?

Today I saw a patient I have known for years. He suddenly pulled his mask down and said, “I’d like to know what you think I should do about this”.

On his nose was an 8 mm brownish-red flat spot with a crack or scrape through it.

“How long have you had it," I asked.

“Oh, a while now,” he answered.

That is about the least helpful time measurement I know of. I asked him to pin it down a bit more precisely. He settled for about a year.

I prescribed a cream and made a two week follow