UK adds loss of smell and taste to COVID-19 symptom list

[snoop1130]

UK adds loss of smell and taste to COVID-19 symptom list

By Guy Faulconbridge

 

A woman wearing a face mask and gloves walks on a platform at Waterloo Station in London, following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), London, Britain, May 18, 2020. REUTERS/Simon Dawson

 

LONDON (Reuters) - The United Kingdom has added the loss of smell and taste to its official list of COVID-19 symptoms including fever and new continuous cough - a step that it hopes could help pick up about 2 percent more cases of the novel coronavirus.

 

“From today, all individuals should self-isolate if they develop a new continuous cough or fever or anosmia,” the United Kingdom’s four chief medical officers said in a joint statement.

 

“Anosmia is the loss or a change in your normal sense of smell. It can also affect your sense of taste as the two are closely linked.”

 

Other possible symptoms of COVID-19 include fatigue, diarrhea, abdominal pain, or loss of appetite, but have not been included in the basic case definition.

 

By adding anosmia the sensitivity of new case pick-up could increase to 93 percent from 91 percent with just new cough and fever, said Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, England’s deputy chief medical officer.

 

When asked why the United Kingdom has lagged other countries in including the loss of smell in its official list, Van-Tam said: “The question is: Which of those symptoms actually make the interception of cases better or worse?”

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-05-18

 

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[northsouthdevide]

Lack of taste? 

I better go for a test. 

I almost bought a pair of shorts and a shirt from big c a few months back. 

Edited May 18, 2020 by northsouthdevide

[Bluespunk]

49 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

When asked why the United Kingdom has lagged other countries in including the loss of smell in its official list, Van-Tam said: “The question is: Which of those symptoms actually make the interception of cases better or worse?”

 

No, the question was why has the UK lagged behind other countries in including these symptoms. 

[spiekerjozef]

Isn't that something they always had?

[watthong]

Poor Brits, so lagging behind even in common knowledge.

[samsensam]

 

oh come on OP, what rock have you been living under for the last few months?! loss of taste and smell has been a know possible symptoms of the virus for at least two months, probably longer.

[Chomper Higgot]

Let’s hope they don’t add ‘bad teeth’ and ‘awful haircuts’,  or we’ll be back into the ‘pre-existing conditions’ argument.

[Sunderland]

BREAKING NEWS:
The UK government has today announced that a deadly coronavirus has been making people sick in Wuhan, China.

18 May, 2020

[Thunder26]

COVID 19 has literally the same symtoms as a flu, however it takes much longer to recover and induces pneumonia in many people. Losing smell or taste is common during a cold as well when you have a stuffy nose and fever. You don't have much of an appetite then.

[George Aylesham]

14 hours ago, Bluespunk said:

No, the question was why has the UK lagged behind other countries in including these symptoms. 

Tragically the UK's government late as usual with a potential loss of life; but does it care?

[blazes]

Oh dear, I should be tested for C-19....I lost my sense of smell and taste about 5 years ago....