RSBM for focus
Losing sense of smell and taste is interesting to me because that has happened to me multiple times in the past when I've had bad colds. This doesn't happen to me with every cold or flu illness, though.
From what I've read, this symptom in people with COVID-19 occurs
without a runny nose or nasal congestion.
A recent Livescience article discusses a study at UC San Diego that "...found that smell and taste loss appear to be common initial symptoms in patients with mild infections." ...
"...Of the COVID-19-positive patients in the study, about 68% said they experienced smell loss and 71% reported taste loss, as compared with 16% and 17% of negative patients, respectively.
Among the COVID-19 patients with smell or taste loss, the decrease in sensation was often "profound, not mild," according to the UC San Diego statement. However, the majority of patients recovered their sense of smell and taste within about 2 to 4 weeks, around the time they'd recovered from infection. "
'Profound' smell loss is a common COVID-19 symptom, study confirms | Live Science