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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsLost Sense of Smell May Be Peculiar Clue to Coronavirus Infection
A mother who was infected with the coronavirus couldnt smell her babys full diaper. Cooks who can usually name every spice in a restaurant dish cant smell curry or garlic, and food tastes bland. Others say they cant pick up the sweet scent of shampoo or the foul odor of kitty litter.
Anosmia, the loss of sense of smell, and ageusia, an accompanying diminished sense of taste, have emerged as peculiar telltale signs of Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, and possible markers of infection.
On Friday, British ear, nose and throat doctors, citing reports from colleagues around the world, called on adults who lose their senses of smell to isolate themselves for seven days, even if they have no other symptoms, to slow the diseases spread. The published data is limited, but doctors are concerned enough to raise warnings.
We really want to raise awareness that this is a sign of infection and that anyone who develops loss of sense of smell should self-isolate, Prof. Claire Hopkins, president of the British Rhinological Society, wrote in an email. It could contribute to slowing transmission and save lives.
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https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/22/health/coronavirus-symptoms-smell-taste.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage
WhiskeyGrinder
(22,391 posts)of smell because of allergies -- I could breathe through my nose freely, but couldn't smell a thing.
csziggy
(34,137 posts)So I would notice instantly if I could no longer smell very well.
Thanks for the article!
tblue37
(65,477 posts)it's just gross. It's one reason why despite having four cats i have super clean cat box. I can't stand to leave anything in the for even a few minutes.
csziggy
(34,137 posts)Sweet scents like roses and lavendar and most artificial fragrances like those added to detergents and air fresheners torture me.
I used to sneeze, non-stop when exposed to them. Now that I live on Zyrtec, I just get headaches and turn really, really bitchy. I avoid the stores around Valentine's Day and Mother's day since the smelly flowers are all over the place.
Right now ligustrums (aka privet) are in bloom here - they give my sinusitis, and constantly runny nose, and even with Zyrtec, sneezing. I have to be really careful in public so people don't think I am coming down with coronavirus.
fleur-de-lisa
(14,628 posts)It often signals an impending migraine for me.
Yavin4
(35,445 posts)"Aren't you glad that I ate those beans."
wishstar
(5,271 posts)and several other reports have come out today warning people about the lost of taste and smell as a symptom even if they don't have other symptoms
tblue37
(65,477 posts)Me.
(35,454 posts)"Loss of smell (and taste): We have noticed that we have had quite a few calls from patients suddenly losing their sense of smell or taste with virus symptoms. After researching this, we have found these symptoms specific to COVID-19 infections. It can theoretically occur with any virus. Anecdotally, it lasts from a few days to 2- 3 weeks before resolving. This is usually a late sign of the virus. People often experience cough and congestion with fever earlier. However, it is our recommendation that anyone with no other symptoms other than a sudden loss of smell and/or taste take extra precautions to further isolate yourself from others."
Jarqui
(10,130 posts)highplainsdem
(49,023 posts)people with the virus:
https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-symptoms-loss-of-smell-taste-covid-19-anosmia-hyposmia-2020-3
The professors said that many patients around the world who have tested positive for COVID-19 are presenting only the symptoms of loss of smell and taste without the more commonly recognised symptoms of high fever and coughing.
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Professor Kumar told Sky News that younger patients in particular may demonstrate only a loss of smell or taste, without demonstrating the more commonly recognised coronavirus symptoms of high fever and persistent coughs.
"In young patients, they do not have any significant symptoms such as the cough and fever, but they may have just the loss of sense of smell and taste, which suggests that these viruses are lodging in the nose," he said.
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More at the link.
dewsgirl
(14,961 posts)would not help me.