COVID-19: Researchers say change of taste, smell indicate infection spread

Self-reports of smell and taste changes can be earlier markers of the spread of the novel coronavirus than indicators based on hospital emergency room (ER) consultations, an international team of researchers have said. In their study published in journal Nature Communications, the team asserted that a sudden surge in incidences of smell and taste change in the general population might indicate a rise in coronavirus infection. Reiterating their claim, they revealed that there was a decline in self-reportage of smell and taste change in lockdown with countries with stricter restrictions witnessing steeper plunge.

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Analysed data from French authorities 

For the purpose of their study, scientists used data from the Global Consortium for Chemosensory Research survey, which is a global, crowd-sourced online study. In addendum, they assessed data from the French government which beginning on May 7, 2020, had been segregating various geographical areas of the country as red or green, depending on their COVID-19 prevalence.

They then compared data from France with data from Italy and the UK, each of which implemented lockdown measures at different times and with different levels of stringency. In the aftermath of their research, they found that smell and taste changes were better correlated with the number of COVID-19 admissions to hospitals than France's current governmental indicators, which look at the ratio of ER consultations for suspicion of COVID-19 to general ER consultations.

The researchers believe that their findings could help decision-makers in making significant moves at the local level, catching new outbreaks sooner or in guiding the relaxation of local lockdowns which has battered hundreds of small ad medium businesses. The coronavirus pandemic which emerged in Dember last year has now spiralled to infect over 52,256,150 people out of which 1.286.543 have died. Recently, major European nations including the UK, France and the Czech Republic have imposed a lockdown to curb the spread of the COVID-19.

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