One of the UK’s leading experts claims sudden loss of smell could be a more reliable sign of coronavirus than a fever or cough.
Professor Claire Hopkins, is president of the British Rhinological Society and a leading ear, nose and throat consultant surgeon.
She is leading the charge to get loss of sense of smell – anosmia – recognised by the World Health Organization and Public Health England as a coronavirus symptom.
Prof. Hopkins said: “One in six patients will lose their sense of smell as an isolated symptom, really without getting any other associated symptoms.
“One in four will get it along with other symptoms, but right at the beginning of infection.
“It is a good early marker of infection.
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She added: “When you look at all the different symptoms, loss of sense of smell is actually one of the best predictors of Covid-19 infection.
“Much better than fever, and more prevalent and a stronger predictor than cough.”
She was interviewed by video producer Ian Nuttall, 56, from Hampton Court, Surrey, who contacted her when he realised he had the symptom.
He said: “One of the main things I was concerned about was whether this experience was going to be permanent.
“In one in four people, it doesn’t – it is permanent that you lose your sense of smell and taste.
(Image: Getty Images/Maskot)
“That’s actually quite traumatic for people.
“For a majority of people, she makes it quite clear that in the case of Covid-19, the sense comes back.
“Since Prof. Hopkins made the claim, the evidence has increased dramatically – in the last month, it has gone from being just anecdotal and fed through her specialism, to much much wider evidence supporting this.”
The pair remained six foot apart at all times during the interview, yesterday(21).
He added: “I have stopped 99 per cent of my work – my external shoots – but this I thought was too important.”
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