Know the Difference Between Anosmia Due to Covid-19 and the Common Flu

JAKARTA Anosmia or loss of sense of smell due to Covid-19 is different from the common cold. When a Covid-19 patient experiences a loss of smell it tends to be sudden and severe. They don’t have a stuffy or runny nose.

Most Covid-19 patients can still breathe easy. Another thing that distinguishes these two conditions is the loss of true taste. Not because the taste is disturbed because the sense of smell is not functioning, but it can’t tell the difference between bitter or sweet.

Reporting from BBC News, Saturday (17/7/2021) experts suspect this is because the corona virus affects nerve cells that are directly involved with smell and taste sensations. Meanwhile, people with the common cold experience a gradual loss of sense of smell.

In addition, the common cold is often accompanied by symptoms of nasal congestion, runny nose and difficulty breathing. They also have thick mucus that comes out of the nose.

“We found that the loss of smell was much more profound in Covid-19 patents. They are less able to identify odors, and they are not able to identify bitter or sweet tastes,” said lead researcher Prof Carl Philpott from the UAE’s Norwich Medical School.

“In fact, it is this loss of true taste that appears to be a problem present in Covid-19 patients compared to those with the common cold,” he continued.

This means smell and taste tests can be used to differentiate between Covid-19 patients and people with the common cold.

SOURCE: Sindonews.com

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