Coronavirus warning symptom

Here’s the first new and potentially useful information I’ve come across about the coronavirus for awhile. (We are all very tired of hearing about hand washing and staying 6′ apart).

The NY Times reports that a common symptom of the virus is a significant loss of sense of smell and taste (anosmia). Loss of taste and smell is an indication that a person who otherwise seems healthy is in fact carrying the virus and may be spreading it to others. Doctors are recommending testing and isolation for people who lose their ability to smell and taste, even if they have no other symptoms.

They are also recommending that doctors not perform nonessential sinus endoscopy procedures on anyone, because the virus replicates in the nose and the throat and an exam can prompt coughs or sneezes that expose the doctor to a high level of virus.

The problem may not be your sinuses – the problem might be the coronavirus. Apparently for some people with a mild case of the coronavirus, this might be the only symptom that they get. So it’s important to know that if you feel fine, but suddenly can’t smell things as well as usual, you are probably contagious and should be self-isolating.

I would paste the link, but for some reason it’s not embedding correctly in my blog. The article title is “Lost Sense of Smell May Be Peculiar Clue to Coronavirus Infection” and it was published March 22 on NYTimes.com.