March 24, 2020 / Ryan W. Miller USA TODAY
A loss of a sense of smell or taste may be a symptom of COVID-19, medical groups representing ear, nose and throat specialists have warned.
Citing a growing number of cases around the globe, the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery and ENT UK each issued warnings about patients who tested positive for the new coronavirus with the only symptom being a lost or altered sense of smell or taste.
“Anecdotal evidence is rapidly accumulating from sites around the world that anosmia and dysgeusia are significant symptoms associated with the COVID-19 pandemic,” the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery wrote in a statement.
Anosmia is the loss of smell while dysgeusia is an altered sense of taste.
South Korea, China and Italy have all reported “significant numbers” of known COVID-19 patients with lost or reduced sense of smell, according to joint statement by Claire Hopkins, president of the British Rhinological Society, and Nirmal Kumar, president of ENT UK.
