Experts have said that the new symptom was found in the "absence of other symptoms" of COVID-19.
As the rapid rise of coronavirus cases continues to trouble the world, experts in the United Kingdom have said that loss of taste and smell might be the new symptoms of the virus.
As per a report in the British publication Independent, the British Association of Otorhinolaryngology (ENT UK) on Tuesday said that the new symptom was found in the "absence of other symptoms" of COVID-19 and those who are showing this symptom could be “hidden carriers” of the virus.
The organisation consists of ear, nose, and throat specialists in the UK and it releases a statement saying that there was 'good evidence' that patients in China, Italy and South Korea developed these symptoms, known as anosmia, while they were infected with the virus.
Two experts, Professor Nirmal Kumar, president of ENT UK and Professor Claire Hopkins, president of the British Rhinological Society have released a statement that points out a sudden rise in cases of isolated anosmia in countries such as UK, US, France and Italy.
“I think these patients may be some of the hitherto hidden carriers that have facilitated the rapid spread of Covid-19,” the statement said, adding that “Unfortunately, these patients do not meet current criteria for testing or self isolation.”
The surgeons have also said that this new symptom could be used as a 'screening tool' to identify patients who are not having common symptoms of the COVID-19 such as fever, dry cough, or sore throat.
"There is potential that if any adult with anosmia but no other symptoms was asked to self-isolate for seven days… we might be able to reduce the number of otherwise asymptomatic individuals who continue to act as vectors, not realising the need to self-isolate,” the experts said.
“In young patients, they do not have any significant symptoms such as the cough and fever, but they may have just the loss of sense of smell and taste, which suggests that these viruses are lodging in the nose," Prof. Kumar was quoted by Sky News as saying.
Meanwhile, the global death toll due to the coronavirus has reached 18,895 while over 4,22,629 people have been affected so far.
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