There is one symptom that almost certainly means you have COVID-19: a loss of taste or smell, says Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top infectious disease expert and adviser to President Biden. At a virtual event hosted by the National Congress of American Indianians, Fauci reiterated that many people with COVID have no symptoms at all – about 30%. But among those who do, “the clinical manifestations are very, very clear,” he said. Read on to learn more about how to identify this symptom and to ensure your health and that of others, don’t miss this one Certainly signs that you’ve already had coronavirus
Smell, loss of taste is common
COVID-19 ‘is strongly reminiscent of a flu-like syndrome with fever, cough, fatigue, some muscle pain [muscle pain]”, he added, with one exception:” One thing that is quite unique about COVID-19 is the loss of smell and taste, which sometimes precedes the onset of respiratory symptoms. “
Fauci’s comments were in line with previous studies in COVID-19 patients, which showed that loss of smell and taste are very common.
According to Scientific American, that prevalence can be as high as 80 percent. Odor loss is so common in people with the disease that some researchers are using it as one diagnostic test because it may be a more reliable marker than fever or other symptoms, “the publication said.
One of those researchers, Nancy Rawson, a biologist and associate director of the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, said odor loss is “one of the first symptoms” of COVID, “and it is certainly ahead of fever. Odor loss alone predicts diagnosis better than fever.”
Experts aren’t sure why it happens. But the prevailing theory is that when the virus enters the body through the nose, it can attack and disable cells that help the olfactory (odor) system work.
A July CDC study found that odor and taste loss lasts an average of eight days. But some people experience it for weeks or months. According to a November study published in the Journal of Internal Medicine, some who tested positive for COVID reported that their sense of smell and taste had not returned six months after their initial infection.
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How to survive this pandemic
As for you, do everything you can to avoid getting – and spreading – COVID-19 in the first place: Wear a face mask, get tested if you think you have coronavirus, avoid crowds (and bars, and house parties), practice social distance, only run essential errands, wash your hands regularly, disinfect frequently touched surfaces, and get through this pandemic in your healthiest way come, don’t miss this one 35 Places You’re Likely to Catch COVID