78% of Coronavirus Patients Lost Their Sense of Smell and/or Taste

A new study published in PLOS Medicine on October 1, 2020, by Prof. Rachel Batterham at University College London and colleagues, found about 78% of people experiencing the recent loss of smell and/or taste have tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies. Additionally, of those who tested positive, 40% of these individuals did not have a cough or fever.

'Our findings suggest that people who notice a loss in their ability to smell everyday house-hold odors such as garlic, coffee, and perfumes should self-isolate and seek PCR testing. Loss of sense of smell needs to be recognized globally by policymakers as a key symptom of COVID-19,' stated these researchers.