Admit it…
You’ve done it.
We all have.
You cough. Or maybe your throat seems a little scratchy. You might feel a bit warm. Maybe a little tired.
And you wonder: “Is this coronavirus?”
All of us are hyper alert for the first signs we might have it. But the earliest symptom may be something you’d never expect.
Ear, nose, and throat (ENT) doctors from around the world and organizations representing them have issued an alert. They say that loss of smell may be the first symptom of COVID-19.
People with anosmia (the medical term for the condition) often carry coronavirus but have no other symptoms.
Professor Simon Carney is an ENT specialist. He says it’s these “silent carriers” who go undetected, “which may explain why the disease has progressed so rapidly in so many countries around the world.”[1]
Professor Carney points out that anosmia has been reported in Asia and Europe in people testing positive for coronavirus.
British ENT specialist Dr. Claire Hopkins says that evidence “is accumulating very rapidly” that loss of smell is an early symptom. “I’ve had colleagues from around the world saying: ‘That’s exactly what we’re seeing.’”
Dr. Hopkins says she recently saw “nine patients that lost their sense of smell, which is unheard of in my practice.”[2]
Dr. Rachel Kay said she’s hearing from doctors who say the same thing. “The reason why the alarm bells were going off is that we’re all starting to see this, especially in parts of the United States with the most cases of COVID-19,” she said. Dr. Kay is an assistant professor of otolaryngology at Rutgers University.[3]
Reports are also appearing on social media. Utah Jazz basketball player Rudy Gobert and American fashion blogger Arielle Charnas both said they lost their sense of smell and taste after contracting coronavirus.
The American Academy of Otolaryngology issued a statement saying that people with an unusual loss of smell should consider isolating themselves even before they test positive for coronavirus.[4]
Anosmia and hyposmia (reduced ability to smell) have long been linked to upper-respiratory infections—including other types of coronavirus that cause the common cold. That’s because the virus damages olfactory bulbs—a part of the forebrain that is involved in perceiving smells. Patients may also lose the ability to taste.
The good news?
The loss of smell does not appear to be permanent. It returns within a couple of weeks after you recover from COVID-19.
Don’t Panic if You Lose Your Sense of Smell
If you suddenly lose your ability to smell, or notice that’s it’s diminished, first you should separate yourself from those around you.
Keep in mind that other things such as allergies or a sinus infection can cause this.
You will probably want to get tested. But this may not be possible.
Loss of smell has not yet been officially recognized by the CDC as a sign of COVID-19. With shortages of testing, if you have no other symptoms, you may not be allowed to undergo screening.
Still, you should call your doctor or local testing station. Explain your situation and try to get tested as soon as you can.
Editor’s Note: Discover “infinite immunity.” It’s a recent Nobel Prize-winning discovery that gives your body the power to fight off most infections. You can find out more by reading our monthly journal, Independent Healing. Go HERE.
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[1]https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-03-loss-covid-.html
[2]https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/03/23/coronavirus-sense-of-smell/
[3] https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/03/26/821582951/is-loss-of-smell-and-taste-a-symptom-of-covid-19-doctors-want-to-find-out
[4]https://www.entnet.org/content/coronavirus-disease-2019-resources