Johns Hopkins Doctor Says Tracking Loss Of Taste, Smell In COVID-19 Patients May Help With Contact Tracing
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- COVID-19 symptoms vary from person to person, but for weeks now, some who've been diagnosed with the virus have reported losing some sense of smell and taste.
One doctor at Johns Hopkins said he believes tracking these symptoms can help with contact tracing.
Possible culprits for someone losing their sense of taste or smell can be a head injury or nasal blockage, but one of the most common cases is a viral infection.
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Dr. Nicholas Rowan with Johns Hopkins said patients experiencing loss of taste or smell associated with COVID-19 is unique.
"They have none of the side nasal symptoms, other than an isolated off in sense of smell and taste," he said.
Experts also said it may be an indicator that the person's illness will be mild to moderate. But even more worrisome to Dr. Rowan is that it can represent undetected spread.
"Smell is overlooked. Many patients walk around this planet all day long and they have a poor sense of smell, and they don't worry about it," Dr. Rowan said.
That's why experts believe it's important to be vigilant and keep an eye on symptoms in the midst of the current pandemic.
"What we're seeing so far is anywhere from 40 to maybe as high as 70 percent of patients... they're sense of smell does return," Dr. Rowan said. "However, we suspect that there may be a small proportion of that population that has some sort of lasting function or inability to smell."
So, what happens if you are experiencing this symptom? First, Dr. Rowan recommends getting tested for the virus to be safe.
There are also treatment options available, such as smell training, where patients can use simple items like essential oils.
"Just like if you had a stroke, or you had knee surgery, you would go to rehab afterwards," Dr. Rowan said.
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