We have known since mid-April 2020 that diminished smell and taste may indicate COVID-19. However, we have viewed these as one of many symptoms to watch for until now. But scientists at University College London Hospitals have brought them into sharp relief. This is because they say acute loss of smell and taste, and COVID-19 are key public health indicators.
Acute Loss of Smell and Taste and Covid-19 Diagnosis
Rachel Batterham is obesity theme director at Division of Medicine at University College London Hospitals. She published a report on October 1, 2020 regarding her team’s analysis of the relationship between acute loss of smell and taste, and COVID-19. They already knew the symptoms occurred in 31 – 85% of patients with the infectious disease.
They selected a group of people in the community reporting loss of taste and smell. Then they tested them for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, and found those with loss of smell were three times more likely have them than those with loss of taste. This is an important finding because many countries do not recommend testing and isolation for acute loss of these sensations.
This is Critical Information as We Approach the Second Wave
Rachel Batterham’s team’s study involved 567 people with a recent loss of sense of smell and / or taste.
1… 77.6% of them had SARS-CoV-2 antibodies
2… 38.9% of those had neither cough nor fever
3… This was three times more likely with loss of smell
There appears to be sufficient reason to treat acute loss of taste and smell as indicators for testing, and self-isolation. This would be a step forward for countries that currently rely on fever and respiratory symptoms only.
The team hopes their findings will assist early detection of new COVID-19 infections, as we approach the second wave. People who notice loss of these senses should self-isolate and seek testing, they say.
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Preview Image: Smell and Taste Go Together
