COVID-19 infections are still a major challenge as experts are baffled trying to track the individuals infected since some are asymptomatic while others are showing unusual symptoms. According to Independent's latest report, loss of taste and smell has been officially added by the government on the list of coronavirus symptoms you should watch out for.
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It was reported on May 18 that the official list of coronavirus symptoms will officially include the loss or changed sense of smell and taste since concerns were raised that many cases were being disregarded because the new symptoms were being dismissed.
Professor Jonathan Van Tam, deputy chief medical officer, said that up to 3% more cases of the people in the community infected by the novel coronavirus will be identified through the new symptoms.
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The new coronavirus symptoms will now include whether a person has a continuous fever, cough, or anosmia--also known as "smell blindness," the loss of the ability of an individual to detect one or two smells, including loss of taste. Individuals who are showing these new symptoms must be isolated for seven days while other family members, or those who are living in the same house, must be isolated for 14 days.
Anosmia is officially new coronavirus symptoms: Loss of taste and sense of smell is added to the list
According to The Independent, the decision of the government to include anosmia to the list of coronavirus symptoms could be a crucial move since the government plans to set up a test, track and isolate system to contain the virus infection after the lockdown restrictions are removed. However, the decision of the government was criticized, stating that the addition of loss of taste and smell has come too late.
Professor Tim Spector, leader of the COVID-19 symptom study app at King's College London and the head of the department of genetic epidemiology, said that the list of symptoms of 17 other countries, including the United States, were also altered beyond a fever and cough.
Spector reiterated that between 50,000 to 70,000 people in the United Kingdom who are infected with COVID-19 were not told to self-isolate since their symptoms did not match the official list. The KCL app uses unverified self-reported symptoms.
"We list about 14 symptoms which we know are related to having a positive swab test, and these are not being picked up by the NHS," he explained.
Nadine Dorries, the health minister, said that she has lost 100% of her smell and taste when she was infected by the novel coronavirus in March 2020. It was explained that the loss of taste and smell has been repeatedly reported as a symptom of COVID-19.
