Medical experts are reporting they are currently gathering information to find out if the loss of smell or taste could possibly be an early indicator of the coronavirus, COVID-19.

Arklatexhomepage.com says that there is reliable evidence from the medical communities in South Korea, China and Italy for loss of smell in infected people.

The Associated Press reports roughly 30% of patients with confirmed cases of COVID-19 in South Korea have reported loss of smell.

A similar proposal was published Sunday by the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. It noted “rapidly accumulating” anecdotal evidence from around the world that the pandemic virus can cause not only loss of smell but also a diminished sense of taste. So the appearance of those symptoms in people without another explanation should alert doctors to the possibility of a COVID-19 infection, the group said.

 

Doctors with the World Health Organization are currently investigating how often the loss of taste or smell is reported by people who have COVID-19.

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