Coronavirus: loss of smell or taste could be a symptom, growing evidence suggests
- Studies and observations in several countries indicate significant numbers of patients experience a loss of smell
- Identifying these symptoms could allow testing and isolation of people who would otherwise infect others, doctors say
“Anecdotal evidence is rapidly accumulating from sites around the world that anosmia and dysgeusia are significant symptoms associated with the Covid-19 pandemic,” the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery wrote, referring to the disease caused by the virus. “We propose that these symptoms be added to the list of screening tools for the possible Covid-19 infection … and warrant serious consideration for self-isolation and testing of these individuals.”
Claire Hopkins and Nirmal Kumar, from the professional body ENT UK at the Royal College of Surgeons, said evidence from South Korea, China, Italy and Germany suggested that anosmia and hyposmia, or reduced sense of smell, were markers of the coronavirus. In South Korea, 30 per cent of patients tested as positive with the virus had anosmia as their “major presenting symptom in otherwise mild cases”, they wrote.
“There is potential that if any adult with anosmia but no other symptoms was asked to self-isolate for seven days, in addition to the current symptom criteria used to trigger quarantine, we might be able to reduce the number of otherwise asymptomatic individuals who continue to act as vectors, not realising the need to self-isolate,” they said.
The World Health Organisation does not list loss of smell or taste as common symptoms for Covid-19, which it has said can cause fever, tiredness and a dry cough, with some also experiencing “aches and pains, nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat or diarrhoea”. But new studies and anecdotal reports of patients’ experiences have pointed to loss of smell as an indicator of coronavirus infection.