Doctors have warned that losing the sense of smell could be a telltale sign that someone has COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.
Citing reports from contemporaries around the world, British ear, nose, and throat doctors on Friday called on people who have lost their senses of smell to self-quarantine for seven days, even if they have no other symptoms, according to the New York Times.
The physicians said reports from other countries have indicated large numbers of patients with the coronavirus have experienced a loss of smell. In South Korea, they said, 30% of 2,000 patients who tested positive for the disease experienced anosmia.
The American Academy of Otolaryngology said Sunday that there is growing evidence indicating that lost or reduced sense of smell and loss of taste are significant symptoms associated with COVID-19. The symptoms have been present in patients who have the coronavirus but no other symptoms.
“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,” said Claire Hopkins, president of the British Rhinological Society. “It could contribute to slowing transmission and save lives.”
