DEAR Dr. Fritz,
GREAT day to you. Please call me Avatar. I have read that one of the symptoms of COVID is loss of smell. Now, can we use this to assess someone with NCOVID-19 at home at this time?
Thank you.
Avatar of Davao Oriental
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Dear Avatar of Davao Oriental,
Studies that were conducted in the United States were able to show that patients who have Covid-19 have 27 times the chance to lose their sense of smell and taste, compared to the general population. Not all patients who have Covid will have fever as they only had 2.6 times to develop fever and chills. This is the reason why there are asymptomatics who have Covid with them.
This loss of smell could be due to the damage brought by the virus to the neurons that are responsible for the relay of the messages from and out of the brain, which includes the transmission of signal for the smell and taste. It could also be that the virus could disrupt the sodium carrier which is in our nose or mouth.
According to Dr. Bradley, the expert who studied the relationship between the loss of smell and taste to those patients who are affected with the virus, this loss of smell can be used to assess the existence of Covid in those people who are at home. This is the reason why, in case the smell of your coffee, oranges, and flowers become different as before, you have to come and see your physician ASAP. But, this is not the type of testing that is sensitive and would certainly tell the presence of the virus.
So, if you lose your sense of smell or taste, consult your physician and get an additional testing for Covid-19.
Good luck!
Dr. Fritz
(Dr. Fritz Legarde Espedilla is an aesthetic dermatologist and surgeon and a clinical sexologist. She is also trained in hypnotherapy and Medical Acupuncture. She is the anchor of Secrets of Dr. Fritz, of Hugyaw.com. She has been in the broadcast media for more than a decade and has written a book based on her 15 year stint with her radio program, “Healthy is Sexy Secrets ni Dr. Fritz.”. For your questions, you may e-mail them to dokfritz@yahoo.com. If you don’t wish your letter to be published, we regret that we cannot answer them. Thank you for your understanding.)