Can a Loss of Taste and Smell Be a Symptom of COVID-19?

Your sense of taste and sense of smell are closely linked. In fact, experiencing a loss of smell can greatly impact your sense of taste. It's estimated that 95 ... HealthlineHealthConditionsDiscoverPlanConnectShopSubscribeNutritionHealthyEatingMealPrepVitamins&SupplementsLifestyleDietsWeightManagementConditionsProductsCanaLossofTasteandSmellBeaSymptomofCOVID-19?MedicallyreviewedbyCameronWhite,M.D.,MPH—WrittenbyJillSeladi-Schulman,Ph.D.onOctober12,2020Anearlysymptom?CauseHowcommon?TestyoursensesDurationOthersymptomsWhentogetcareOthersensorylosscausesBottomlineShareonPinterestGrangerWootz/GettyImagesCOVID-19,therespiratorydiseasecausedbythenewcoronavirus,canhaveavarietyofsymptoms.Often,thetypesofsymptomsandtheirseveritycanvaryfrompersontoperson.Inadditiontorespiratorysymptomslikeacoughandshortnessofbreath,COVID-19canalsohaveothertypesofsymptoms.Oneoftheseislosingyoursenseofsmellortaste.Let’stakeacloserlookatthelossofsmellandtastewithCOVID-19,howcommonitis,andhowlongthesesymptomsmaylast.IsalossofsmellortasteanearlysymptomofCOVID-19?It’snotuncommonforupperrespiratoryinfectionssuchasthecommoncoldorflutoaffectoursensesofsmellandtaste.Infact,it’sestimatedthatatemporarylossofsmellhappensinover60percentofcoldsandsinusinfections.Yoursenseoftasteandsenseofsmellarecloselylinked.Infact,experiencingalossofsmellcangreatlyimpactyoursenseoftaste.It’sestimatedthat95percentofthetimewhenthere’salossoftaste,it’sassociatedwithareducedsenseofsmell.LossofsmellcanoccursuddenlyinpeoplewithCOVID-19andisoftenaccompaniedbylossoftaste.Also,withCOVID-19,thesesymptomsmayoccurwithoutarunnyorstuffynose.It’spossiblethatalossofsmellortastecouldbeanearlysymptomofCOVID-19.Arecentreviewevaluatedeightstudieswithatotalof11,054COVID-19patients.Accordingtothisreview,alossofsmellandtasteoftenhappenedpriortootherCOVID-19symptoms.Inparticular,alossofsmellmayalsobeapotentialindicatorofamildcaseofCOVID-19.Astudyfromearlierinthepandemicfoundthatlossofsmellwasmorecloselyassociatedwithoutpatientcareasopposedtohospitaladmission.HowcanCOVID-19causeyoutoloseyoursenseofsmellortaste?It’sstillunclearexactlyhowalossofsmellandtastehappenswithCOVID-19,buttherearesometheories.SARS-CoV-2,thecoronavirusthatcausesCOVID-19,bindstoaproteincalledACE2that’sfoundonthesurfaceofpotentialhostcells.ACE2isabundantoncellsfoundinyournoseandmouth.It’spossiblethattheviruscoulddirectlyinvadethenervecellsassociatedwithyoursensesofsmellandtaste.However,arecentstudyinthejournalScienceAdvanceshascastdoubtonthisidea.ResearchersfailedtofindACE2onnervecellsthatdetectscents.Instead,theyfoundACE2oncellsthatsurroundandsupportthesenervecells.It’spossiblethatinfectionofthesesurroundingcellscouldleadtolevelsofinflammationordamagethatimpactyourabilitytosmell.LessresearchhasbeendoneonhowCOVID-19specificallyaffectstaste.Sincelossofsmellandlossoftasteoftenoccurtogether,it’scurrentlybelievedthatpeoplewithCOVID-19likelyexperiencelossoftasteasaconsequenceoflossofsmell.Howcommonisthissymptom?ThereportedprevalenceofalossofsmellandtastewithCOVID-19variesgreatlyacrossstudies.ArecentstudypublishedinMayoClinicProceedingstookadeepdiveintohowcommonalossofsmellortasteisinCOVID-19.Researchersreviewedresultsfrom24studies,whichrepresenteddatafromover8,000peoplewithaconfirmedcaseofCOVID-19.Theyfoundthefollowing:Thereportedprevalenceforlossofsmellrangedfrom3.2percentto98.3percent.Theaverageprevalenceoflossofsmellwascalculatedtobeabout41percent.Thereportedprevalenceforlossoftastewasbetween5.6percentto62.7percent.Theaverageprevalenceforlossoftastewascalculatedtobeabout38.2percent.Olderagecorrelatedwithalowerprevalenceoflossofsmellortaste.Nodifferenceintheprevalenceofeithersymptomwasseeninmenversuswomen.However,otherstudieshavefoundthatlossofsmellortastetendstooccurmorefrequentlyinwomenthaninmen.HowtotestyoursenseofsmellandtasteAreyouconcernedthatyoumaybelosingyoursenseofsmellortaste?Ifso,youcanusecommonhouseholditemstotestthesesenses.SmellandtastetestSmell.Findsomethingthathasastrong,characteristicsmell.Foodsmaybeagoodoptionhere,suchascoffeebeans,cinnamon,orfreshgarlic.Youcanalsochoosetousenon-fooditemslikebabypowderorascentedcandle.Taste.Locatefoodswithdifferenttastecharacteristics.Somegoodexamplesincludethingslikechocolate(sweet),citrus(sour),coffee(bitter),andpretzels(salty).Ifyoufindthatyouhavetroublepickinguponthescentsortastesofyourselecteditems,youmaybeexperiencingalossofsmellortaste.Ifthesesymptomsdevelopedsuddenly,theycouldbeanearlyindicatorofCOVID-19.Ifyou’reconcernedthatyoumayhavecontractedthenewcoronavirus,youcanseekoutatestingsitenearyoutoconfirmwhetheryouhaveCOVID-19.HowlongisyoursenseofsmellortasteaffectedwithCOVID-19?LossofsmellortasteduetoCOVID-19appearstolastslightlylongercomparedtootherupperrespiratoryinfections.Forexample,lossofthesesensesduetoacoldtypicallylastsfor3to7days.AreportbytheCentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention(CDC)assessedthedurationofsymptomsin274adultsthathadmildCOVID-19symptoms.Themedianreporteddurationoflossofsmellortastewas8days.ThisissupportedbyasmallerstudyfromEurope.Inthisstudy,lossofsmellandtastewerestronglyassociatedwitheachother,lastinganaverageof8.9days.For98percentofpeople,thesesymptomsclearedupwithin28days.Whatothersymptomsshouldyouwatchoutfor?Inadditiontoalossofsmellortaste,thereareseveralothersymptomstowatchoutforwithCOVID-19.Someofthemostcommonsymptomsinclude:fevercoughfatigueshortnessofbreathchillsachesandpainsheadachesorethroatrunnyorstuffynosedigestivesymptoms,suchasdiarrhea,nausea,andvomitingIfyoubelievethatyoumayhaveCOVID-19,stayhomeandtrytoisolateyourselffromothersinyourhousehold.Contactyourdoctortodiscussyoursymptoms.YourdoctorcanalsoadviseyouongettingtestedandhowtocareforyourselfifyoutestpositiveforCOVID-19.WhentogetmedicalcareMostofthetime,mildcasesofCOVID-19canbetreatedathome.However,insomecasestheillnesscanbecomemoreserious.Thisismorelikelyinolderadultsandinindividualswithcertainunderlyinghealthconditions,suchas:diabetesobesitychronicobstructivepulmonarydisease(COPD)heartdiseaseSeekemergencymedicalcareimmediatelyifyouexperience:difficultybreathingchestpainorpressurethatdoesn’tgoawaylips,face,orfingernailsthatareblueincolorconfusiontroublestayingawakeordifficultywakingupWhatelsecancauseyoudotoloseyoursenseoftasteorsmell?InadditiontoCOVID-19,therearemanyotherfactorsthatcancauseyoutoloseyoursenseofsmellortaste.Thesecaninclude:smokingotherupperrespiratoryinfections,suchascolds,theflu,orsinusinfectionsallergiesnasalpolypsaheadinjuryneurologicalconditions,includingParkinson’sdisease,multiplesclerosis,andAlzheimer’sdiseasemedications,suchassometypesofbloodpressuremedications,antibiotics,orantihistamineshormonalchangesduetoconditionslikehypothyroidismorCushing’ssyndromesurgeriesimpactingthemouth,nose,orthroat,suchassinussurgeryorremovalofwisdomteethradiationtreatmentforcancersintheheadornecktumorsinoraroundtheheadandneckbeingexposedtosometypesofchemicalsorsolventsThebottomlineAlossofsmellortastecanhappenwithCOVID-19.Thesesymptomsoftenoccurtogether,althoughtheycantheycanalsooccurseparately.WithCOVID-19,alossoftasteorsmellcancomeonsuddenlyandoccurearly,sometimesbeforeotherCOVID-19symptomsdevelop.Unlikeotherupperrespiratoryinfections,alossofsmellortasteisn’talwaysassociatedwitharunnyorstuffynose.MostpeoplewhoexperiencelossofsmellortasteduetoCOVID-19findthatthesesymptomsresolvewithinafewweeks.AlthoughCOVID-19ismildmostofthetime,itcanescalatetoaseriousillness.Seekemergencymedicalcareifyouhavesymptomssuchasdifficultybreathing,chestpain,orconfusion.LastmedicallyreviewedonOctober12,202017sourcescollapsedHealthlinehasstrictsourcingguidelinesandreliesonpeer-reviewedstudies,academicresearchinstitutions,andmedicalassociations.Weavoidusingtertiaryreferences.Youcanlearnmoreabouthowweensureourcontentisaccurateandcurrentbyreadingoureditorialpolicy.AgyemanAA,etal.(2020).SmellandtastedysfunctioninpatientswithCOVID-19:Asystematicreviewandmeta-analysis.mayoclinicproceedings.org/article/S0025-6196(20)30546-2/pdfBoscolo-RizzoP,etal.(2020).EvolutionofalteredsenseofsmellortasteinpatientswithmildlysymptomaticCOVID-19.DOI:10.1001/jamaoto.2020.1379BrannDH,etal.(2020).Non-neuronalexpressionofSARS-CoV-2entrygenesintheolfactorysystemsuggestsmechanismsunderlyingCOVID-19-associatedanosmia.DOI:10.1126/sciadv.abc5801KlopfensteinT,etal.(2020).FeaturesofanosmiainCOVID-19.DOI:10.1016%2Fj.medmal.2020.04.006KlopfensteinT,etal.(2020).Newlossofsmellandtaste:uncommonsymptomsinCOVID-19patientsonNordFranche-Comtecluster,France.DOI:10.1016/j.ijid.2020.08.012LechienJR,etal.(2020).Olfactoryandgustatorydysfunctionsasaclinicalpresentationofmild-to-moderateformsofthecoronavirusdisease(COVID-19):AmulticenterEuropeanstudy.DOI:10.1007%2Fs00405-020-05965-1MalatyJ,etal.(2013).Smellandtastedisordersinprimarycare.aafp.org/afp/2013/1215/p852.htmlMengX,etal.(2020).COVID-19andanosmia:areviewbasedonup-to-dateknowledge.DOI:10.1016%2Fj.amjoto.2020.102581MullolJ,etal.(2020).ThelossofsmellandtasteintheCOVID-19outbreak:ataleofmanycountries.DOI:10.1007%2Fs11882-020-00961-1SamaranayakeLP,etal.(2020).Suddenonset,acutelossoftasteandsmellincoronavirusdisease2019(COVID-19):Asystematicreview.DOI:10.1080/00016357.2020.1787505Smellandtastedisorders.(n.d.).hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/smell-and-taste-disordersSymptomsofcoronavirus.(2020).cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.htmlTakahashiPY.(2019).Islossoftasteandsmellnormalwithaging?mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/healthy-aging/expert-answers/loss-of-taste-and-smell/faq-20058455TenfordeMW,etal.(2020).SymptomdurationandriskfactorsfordelayedreturntousualhealthamongoutpatientwithCOVID-19inmultistatehealthcaresystemsnetwork–UnitedStates,March–June2020.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6930e1.htmWalkerA,etal.(2020).AnosmiaandlossofsmellintheeraofCOVID-19.DOI:10.1136/bmj.m2808WrobelBB,etal.(2004).Clinicalassessmentofpatientswithsmellandtastedisorders.DOI:10.1016%2Fj.otc.2004.06.010YanCH,etal.(2020).Self-reportedolfactorylossassociateswithoutpatientclinicalcourseinCOVID-19.DOI:10.1002/alr.22592FEEDBACK:MedicallyreviewedbyCameronWhite,M.D.,MPH—WrittenbyJillSeladi-Schulman,Ph.D.onOctober12,2020ReadthisnextMonkeypoxTreatmentOptions:WhattoKnowNow​Healthexpertsgloballyareworkingtoreducetheburdenandlessentheoutbreakofmonkeypoxasthe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