How COVID-19 loss of taste and smell is different from a common cold

We are eight months into the pandemic and by now it has been established that loss of smell and/or taste remains one of the most common symptoms of the novel coronavirus. Infact, apart from fever, dry cough and exhaustion, smell and taste loss has become the hallmark of this novel contagion. It should be noted that loss of smell (and partial loss of taste) was previously associated with a bad bout of cold and flu. A study published in the journal Rhinology aims to further understand how the smell and taste disorders caused by novel coronavirus differ from other viral infections and the common cold.

A new study published in the journal Rhinology is the first of its kind to demystify how people suffering from COVID-19 have a different type of loss in smell and taste when compared to those with the regular flu or cold. The research was conducted at the University of East Anglia, and the findings further highlighted that novel coronavirus may have the potential to impact the brain and central nervous system of the patients.

As per a report published in ANI, the researchers conducted the survey on 10 coronavirus patients, 10 people with common cold and 10 healthy people with no symptoms of coronavirus or regular cold and flu. According to the study, some of the telltale differences in smell loss due to regular cold and COVID-19 include:

1. Coronavirus patients are able to breathe freely even with a loss of smell

2. They do not have a runny nose or blocked nose

3. They are not able to differentiate between bitter and sweet taste

The research further highlighted that the loss of smell and taste was more significant in coronavirus patients as they experienced ‘true loss of taste.’ The researchers speculate that the smell and taste disorders in COVID-19 patients could be caused by the impact of novel coronavirus on the brain and nervous system.

While the olfactory functions returned back to normal when people recovered from COVID-19, researchers hope that these profound findings will help in the faster diagnosis of the disease. "This is very exciting because it means that smell and taste tests could be used to discriminate between COVID-19 patients and people with a regular cold or flu,” lead researcher Carl Philpott, a professor at UEA's Norwich Medical School said.

“Although such tests could not replace formal diagnostic tools such as throat swabs, they could provide an alternative when conventional tests are not available or when rapid screening is needed -- particularly at the level of primary care, in emergency departments or at airports,” he further added.

As scientists and the medical community continue to learn more about the virus with every passing day, there have been significant reports that suggest that COVID-19 also impacts the central nervous system of a person, giving rise to several neurological symptoms.

“Our results reflect, at least to some extent, a specific involvement at the level of the central nervous system in some COVID-19 patients," Philpott added.