Following an earlier study that validated the loss of smell and taste as indicators of SARS-CoV-2 infection, researchers at UC San Diego Health report in newly published findings that olfactory impairment suggests the resulting COVID-19 disease is more likely to be mild to moderate, a potential early indicator that could help health care providers determine which patients may require hospitalization.
The findings were published online April 24, 2020 in the journal International Forum of Allergy & Rhinology .
“One of the immediate challenges for health care providers is to determine how to best treat persons infected by the novel coronavirus,” said first author Carol Yan, MD, a rhinologist and head and neck surgeon at UC San Diego Health. “If they display no or mild symptoms, can they return home to self-quarantine or will they likely require hospitalization? These are crucial questions for hospitals trying to efficiently and effectively allocate finite medical resources.”