Sudden loss of smell a tell tale sign of COVID-19

“The nasal cavity is likely the major site of entry and infection by COVID-19 since at least 90% of inhaled air enters the body through the nose,” said Ahmad Sedaghat, an Associate professor in the University of Cincinnati’s (UC) Medical Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery in Ohio, US. It is important to distinguish COVID-19 from seasonal allergies – a sudden loss of one’s sense of smell, or ‘anosmia,’ without nasal obstruction, is highly indicative of the viral disease.

Sedaghat has reviewed some 20 studies which describe the sinus and nasal disorders reported in relation to COVID-19. Sedaghat also referenced another recent investigative study by Paris physicians, which shows that 94%out of a group of 55 patients presenting with anosmia without nasal obstruction were later found to test positive for COVID-19.

“A sudden loss of one’s sense of smell wouldn’t trigger most people to think they have COVID-19,” said Sedaghat. “These individuals could continue business as usual and spread the disease as a carrier.”

Sedaghat explained that if the virus is present in the body, it will be produced in the lining of the nose and then released into the mucus. “When someone sneezes, this mucus – which contains the virus – is aerosolised outwards. Similarly, if someone wipes their nose and then touches surfaces without washing their hands first, that could lead to spread of COVID-19.”

The UC physician concluded, “Nasal virus production is at very high levels early in the disease process, when patients are still asymptomatic or have very mild symptoms – if someone experiences anosmia without nasal obstruction, aside from quarantining, it would be best to get tested.”

To date, people experiencing COVID-19 report symptoms such as fever, cough and shortness of breath, two to 14 days after exposure. While most recover with minimal intervention, medical assistance is provided if the patient has trouble breathing, persistent pressure or pain in the chest or confusion or inability to rouse, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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