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UK Study Finds Loss of Smell the Most Reliable Indicator of COVID-19 | Photo credit: iStock Images
London: An acute loss of smell or taste is a “highly reliable” indicator of coronavirus and must now be considered globally as a criterion for self-isolation, testing and contact tracing, according to research by UK scientists.
The cohort study, which evaluated health data from primary care centers in London and is published in PLOS Medicine ‘this week, found that 78 percent of people who reported sudden loss of smell and / or taste in the heyday of the pandemic they had SARS. CoV-2 or COVID-19 antibodies. Of these people, 40 percent did not have a cough or fever. According to experts, this is the first time that such a figure has been calculated.
“As we approach a second wave of infections, early recognition of COVID-19 symptoms by the public along with rapid self-isolation and testing will be vitally important in limiting the spread of the disease, said the professor. Principal Rachel Batterham, University College London (UCL) UCL Medicine & Hospitals.
“Our findings show that loss of smell and taste is a very reliable indicator that someone is likely to have COVID-19 and if we want to reduce the spread of this pandemic, now governments globally should consider it as a self-management criterion. isolation, testing and contact tracing, Batterham said.
“While people in the UK experiencing a sudden loss of smell or taste are advised to isolate themselves and get tested, few countries globally recognize this symptom as an indicator of COVID-19 – most are it focuses on fever and respiratory symptoms, she said.
Recruitment for the study took place between April 23 and May 14 at the peak of the pandemic by sending text messages to people registered at various primary care centers in London who reported a sudden loss of consciousness. smell and / or taste.
A total of 590 participants signed up through a web platform and answered questions about loss of smell and taste and other symptoms related to COVID-19. Of these, 567 then had a telemedicine consultation with a healthcare professional who confirmed the history of their symptoms and supervised a test to find out if they had antibodies to SARS-CoV-2.
A total of 77.6 percent of 567 people with loss of smell and / or taste had antibodies against SARS-CoV-2; of these, 39.8 percent had no cough or fever, and participants with loss of smell were three times more likely to have antibodies to SARS-CoV-2, compared with those with loss of taste.
“Our research suggests that a key public health message should be: People who notice a loss in their ability to smell everyday household odors such as garlic, onions, coffee, and perfumes should isolate themselves and seek a smear test of PCR for coronavirus, “Batterham said. .
While it has been known for some time that COVID-19 can cause loss or reduction of the ability to smell (anosmia) or taste, without a cough or fever, existing data had suggested a prevalence of loss of smell and / or taste in the range of 31-85 percent in COVID-19 patients. This is the first study of its kind to attempt to establish the proportion of people who had experienced loss of smell or taste who had COVID-19.
The study was funded by the Biomedical Research Center of the UCLH National Institute for Health Research, where Batterham is the Director of the Obesity Theme.
