With the COVID-19 pandemic still impacting people all over the world, there is still much discussion on the symptoms and signs associated with the virus. Because many of the early symptoms are also associated with common ailments like the cold, flu, or seasonal allergies, it can easily become overwhelming when trying to figure out whether or not you need to get tested. If you are trying to self-diagnose before coming in for a test, a great way to differentiate between coronavirus and other illnesses is to look for one of the more specific COVID-19 symptoms like sudden loss of taste or smell. Keep reading to learn more about this symptom of the virus, its causes, and how you should proceed if you are experiencing it.
Can the Coronavirus Disease Cause Loss of Taste and Smell?
As has been reported across the globe, there is a large number of people that have reported losing their sense of smell or taste and proceeding to test positive for COVID-19. However, there is not much concrete information that totally attributes this strange occurrence to the virus. Because the nasal cavity affects your taste buds, it’s not uncommon for there to be some loss of taste if you have a cold, the flu, or even a nasal obstruction. Studies also suggest that because of the highly contagious nature of the virus, there is a chance that people are also more likely to contract more than one respiratory infections at once; this could indicate that the loss of smell function or taste may in fact be resulting from another illness. Still, there are many personal accounts that attribute this sudden loss of smell or taste directly to the onset of their more common symptoms.
Is Anosmia (Loss of Smell) a Common Sign of COVID-19 Infection?
As aforementioned, there are many people that have reported Anosmia as one of their symptoms of COVID-19 infections. Up to 80% of people that test positive for COVID-19 complain that they have lost their sense of smell or taste. Whether this is specifically a result of COVID-19 infections or some other cause, it is certainly something to take note of if you think you may be sick. And because many people claim that this was one of their earliest symptoms, it may be wise to be proactive and get a coronavirus test.
Other Symptoms of Coronavirus
Loss of taste and smell are not the only symptoms associated with patients with COVID-19. If you have recently been to a public gathering, hospital, or have travelled, keep an eye out for these symptoms:
- Fever
- Cough
- Shortness of breath
- Chills
- Trouble breathing
- Pain or pressure in chest
- Confusion
- Disorientation
- Body aches
Because these symptoms are also associated with other respiratory infections, the best thing to do if you begin exhibiting any of them is to get tested as soon as you can. If you are unable to get tested right away or have been advised by a doctor to wait it out, then you need to make sure that you are taking the necessary precautions. Should this be the case, you need to make sure that you’ve isolated yourself, are frequently washing your hands, and other things to mitigate the spread.
If you find that you are experiencing more severe symptoms like trouble breathing, then you need to get yourself to an emergency room right away. Some cases of coronavirus cause major damage to the respiratory system in which immediate attention is necessary.
Visit Village Emergency Centers
These are scary, unpredictable, and unprecedented times for everyone. At Village Emergency Centers, we do our best to educate our Greater Houston community on the finer points of the coronavirus pandemic and other emergency room needs so that you can know exactly what you need to do if an emergency comes up. If you want to learn more about how coronavirus can cause sudden loss of taste and smell, believe you are sick, or want to get tested, we can help. Contact us or visit one of our locations in Houston today for top notch, 24/7 emergency care.