A loss of a sense of smell or taste may be a symptom of COVID-19, medical groups representing ear, nose and throat specialists have warned.

Citing a growing number of cases around the globe, the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery and ENT UK each issued warnings about patients who tested positive for the new coronavirus with the only symptom being a lost or altered sense of smell or taste. 

“Anecdotal evidence is rapidly accumulating from sites around the world that anosmia and dysgeusia are significant symptoms associated with the COVID-19 pandemic,” the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery wrote in a statement.

Read more: USA Today

Digestive symptoms are common in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), occurring as the chief complaint in nearly half of patients presenting to hospital, according to a new descriptive, cross-sectional multicentre study from China published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology.

Most patients with COVID-19 present with typical respiratory symptoms and signs. However, early experience with the outbreak in Wuhan, China, revealed that many patients experienced digestive symptoms as their chief complaint.

Read more: NTK Institute