The new coronavirus symptom: a loss of sense of smell and taste

As more time has passed and coronavirus (COVID-19) has continued to spread, doctors are now able to notice newer patterns of how people respond to the respiratory disease.

There has also been a development in the latest symptom of coronavirus, a loss of sense of smell and taste, which has been discovered by ear, nose and throat specialists both in the UK and globally. Let’s take a look at what these updates are…

What are the classic symptoms of coronavirus?

One of our leading respiratory physicians on the frontline of treating patients with suspected coronavirus, Dr Syed Hussain, explained to Top Doctors that the most obvious symptoms of the disease are:

• Cough
• Fever
• Difficulty in breathing
• Fatigue
   

The less common symptoms of coronavirus include:
 

• Mucus
• Muscle and joint pain
• Headache
• Chills
• Blood when coughing

In the most severe cases, and usually in patients with pre-existing long-term medical conditions, pneumonia will be present.
 

What are the new coronavirus symptoms?

A loss of a sense of smell or taste may now be the latest development as an early warning sign of coronavirus, as recently discovered by ear, nose and throat specialists across the world.

According to ENT UK, the loss of sense of smell is a marker of COVID-19 infection. In medical terms, this is known as anosmia. Research shows that there are over 200 different viruses, including the common cold, that are known to cause upper respiratory tract infections, including post-viral loss of smell.

ENT UK claims that there is supporting evidence from South Korea, China and Italy that patients who have tested positive for COVID-19 have developed anosmia. In Germany, 2 in 3 confirmed cases have also reported the symptom.

There have also been a growing number of reports of patients presenting anosmia in the absence of other more well-known symptoms of coronavirus, such as cough and fever, which is being shared by surgeons on medical discussion boards.

How could awareness of this new symptom be useful?

Loss of smell as a potential symptom of coronavirus could be used as a screening tool to help identify otherwise asymptomatic patients. These patients could then self-isolate sooner rather than later as to avoid infecting those who are more susceptible to the virus.
 

What are we learning about how symptoms of coronavirus progress?

Doctors are now noticing that people who get sick with COVID-19 tend to have headaches, light coughs and a slight fever for a week. After a week of mild symptoms, they will either start to improve or drastically decline in health. The latter means that they will require sudden, urgent hospitalisation. Unfortunately, in some cases, it seems that some people seem to get better before they get worse.



If you are currently in self-isolation or practising social distancing and need to speak to a medical specialist, you can speak to a doctor using our remote e-Consultation service. That's right, you can have a video call with a specialist from the comfort of your own home. Find out more here.