In the current study, Datta and colleagues set out to better understand how sense of smell is altered in COVID-19 patients by pinpointing cell types most vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2 … Experts first recognized anosmia, or the loss of smell, as a common symptom of COVID-19 in late March.But for an increasing number of survivors, that reaction is … So anosmia alone does not mean you have COVID-19. For example, in a study of European patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19, 86% reported problems with their sense of smell, while a similar percentage had changes in taste perception. Analyses of electronic health records indicate that COVID-19 patients are 27 times more likely to have smell loss but are only around 2.2 to 2.6 times more likely to have fever, cough or respiratory difficulty, compared to patients without COVID-19. Some COVID-19 patients, however, experience anosmia without any nasal obstruction. A majority of COVID-19 patients experience some level of anosmia, most often temporary. Many COVID-19 survivors say they've had changes to taste and smell for months. The global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by SARS-CoV-2 remains a challenge for prevention due to asymptomatic or paucisymptomatic patients. Anosmia, or the loss of the sense of smell, emerged early on as a striking symptom of COVID-19. Pinpointing vulnerability. A diminished sense of smell, called anosmia, has emerged as one of the telltale symptoms of COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. For some, it can strike before a fever, or be the only symptom of COVID. Among all the other symptoms of mild COVID-19 — exhaustion, coughs, fevers — one has stood out as the weirdest: losing your sense of smell. Many patients recover the sense as they clear the virus, but as many as 35% according to Dr. Eric Holbrook, the chief of rhinology at Massachusetts Eye and Ear and associate professor at Harvard University’s Medical School, suffer long-term loss. About 30% of people who develop anosmia due to COVID-19 get their smell and taste back in a few weeks, but doctors now believe a small percentage will never regain those senses. Anosmia, as it is medically referred to, has become an indicator of how difficult novel coronavirus can be. Anecdotal and preliminary evidence from multiple institutions shows that these patients present with a sudden onset of anosmia … It is … News-Medical catches up with Professor Carl Philpott about the latest findings regarding COVID-19 and smell loss (anosmia), and how sufferers of smell loss post-infection can be treated. Studies are being done to get more definitive answers about how common anosmia is in people with COVID-19, at what point after infection loss of smell occurs, and how to distinguish loss of smell caused by COVID-19 from loss of smell caused by allergies, other viruses, or other causes altogether. Coronavirus symptoms include loss of taste and smell, a condition called anosmia.