Loss of Sense of Smell or Taste May Be Present in Coronavirus “Hidden Carrier” Individuals
CORONAVIRUS “HIDDEN CARRIER” – Experts in the United Kingdom spotted the loss of sense of smell or taste as signs that a person may be a carried of COVID-19.
Undeniably, the fight against the spread of the 2019 novel coronavirus or COVID-19 is a tough one. The frontlines which mainly include the doctors and nurses are fighting against something that cannot be seen.
Infection can also spread rapidly among people that’s why everyone is encouraged to observe physical distancing. If not, gatherings or crowds may be followed by pool of patients outnumbering the healthcare workers.
However, there is another challenge in the battle against coronavirus – the patients or carriers may be asymptomatic. The common signs of the said disease includes coughing, fever, and breathing difficulties.
But even if the person is not showing these health warning signs, he or she may be positive for coronavirus. What is even worse is the person can infect the people around him or her without knowing it.
Recently, the experts in the United Kingdom noted something is common among many of the coronavirus patients. Based on a report on Business Insider, the leading rhinologists cited that a coronavirus hidden carrier may experience loss of smell or taste.
The said condition, the loss of smell, is called anosmia. About a third of the patients in China, Italy, and South Korea experience a loss of smell.
According to a joint statement from the British Rhinological Society President and the British Association of Otorhinolaryngology professors, anosmia was spotted in mild cases. The loss of sense of smell or taste in a coronavirus hidden carrier may not come long with fever and coughing.
“Iran has reported a sudden increase in cases of isolated anosmia, and many colleagues from the US, France, and Northern Italy have the same experience,” the statement reads based on the report.
Since people who are showing no symptoms of coronavirus are unlikely to be tested, the experts called for a self-quarantine to prevent spreading the disease in case they experience the loss of sense of smell or taste.
READ ALSO: Filipino Doctor Dies of COVID-19, Wife Also In Hospital – He Left A Message