Loss Of Smell With Colds? It's More COVID-19, Not SARS

Loss of smell with colds? It's more COVID-19, not SARS

Scientists have tested how often loss of smell and taste occurs with various colds. It turned out that this symptom is most typical for COVID-19.

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Scattered reports that loss of smell could be an early symptom of COVID-19 have been published multiple times over the past month. Now scientists for the first time have summarized data on patients with such a manifestation of a new coronavirus infection. Their research is published in the International Forum of Allergy & Rhinology.

Scientists observed 1,480 patients with cold symptoms suspected of having COVID-19. All study participants were tested for the new coronavirus, 102 of them were found to have it. The researchers surveyed 59 COVID-positive and 203 COVID-negative patients.

ENT doctors talked about the symptom of COVID-19 in the "asymptomatic" course of the disease

Loss of smell may be the only symptom of a new coronavirus infection. This is stated in a statement published on the website of the ENT UK organization, which unites UK otorhinolaryngologists.

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“Based on our research, if you have lost your sense of smell and taste, the risk that you have COVID-19, and not another infection, increases 10 times. Fever remains the most common first symptom of COVID-19, but fatigue and loss of smell and taste follow among other frequent manifestations,”said Carol Yan, co-author of the research paper in a press release. She added that attention should be paid to the disappearance of smell and taste, given the prevalence and high contagiousness of COVID-19.

Neurologist explains why the disappearance of smell can be a symptom of coronavirus

Respiratory viruses (which include the coronavirus) can damage the olfactory receptors in the nose, which are needed to smell.

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The study authors emphasize that in patients with COVID-19 who report disturbances in the sense of smell and taste, these feelings are not only dulled, but severely affected. Another interesting finding was that people with these symptoms with COVID-19 usually recover within two to four weeks. The return of the sense of smell usually coincided with the moment of recovery from the coronavirus infection.

In Russia and the world, the coronavirus pandemic, which has already killed many people. Remember simple safety rules and stay healthy

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