Signs and symptoms of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may appear 2 to 14 days after exposure. Early symptoms of COVID-19 may include a loss of taste or smell, or also known as anosmia. The term “anosmia” refers to the total loss of sense of smell. This condition affects your ability to detect odors.
Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that can cause illnesses such as the common cold, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). The virus is known as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The disease it causes is called coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic.
Signs and symptoms of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may appear 2 to 14 days after exposure. This time after exposure and before having symptoms is called the incubation period. Common signs and symptoms can include fever, cough, tiredness. Early symptoms of COVID-19 may include a loss of taste or smell, or also known as anosmia.
The term “anosmia” refers to the total loss of sense of smell. This condition affects your ability to detect odors. People with anosmia can lose their sense of smell gradually or suddenly. You may notice that familiar scents smell differently before you develop a complete loss of smell.
Some people who have had COVID-19 may lose their sense of taste or smell, or the sensation of flavor. The loss of sense of taste or smell is characteristic of COVID-19 because the SARS-CoV-2 virus infects the tissue that forms the lining in the nose. The virus has been found to target certain cells in the nose that support the nerve cells. Those nerve cells detect odors and send that information to the brain. Damage to these supporting cells can cause smell or taste loss that can continue for weeks or months as these cells repair themselves or are replaced by new cells. During the recovery period some odors may smell different—even sometimes unpleasant or foul—than people remember prior to being infected.
Therefore, this patient must self-isolate and remain alert to the occurrence of other symptoms that indicate infection, while undergoing a screening test for COVID-19.
PT Isotekindo Intertama is an official distributor for the AccuTell® SARS-CoV-2 Ag Cassette (Nasopharyngeal Swab). This product is a rapid chromatographic immunoassay for the qualitative detection of presence of an antigen related to the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein in a patient sample in the form of a nasopharyngeal swab, make it easy for users to read the results through the colored lines that are formed.
SARS-CoV-2 Ag Cassette (Nasopharyngeal Swab) practical and comfortable for patients because it is not invasive (not injuring) where the material and shape of the nasopharyngeal swab according to WHO recommendations. Moreover, this product does not require additional tools and materials when using the product.
Results can be interpreted at 10 minutes (brief), so users can define the next immediate action referring to the results that appear. Positive results if the test cassette shows 2 lines in column C & T, negative if it shows only 1 line in column C, and invalid results if 1 line is in column T or there are no lines at all. If you get a positive result, it is recommended to immediately seek a public health clinic to get treatment related to Covid-19.
For anosmia, most of the time, symptoms are temporary and resolve themselves in a short amount of time. Current research has determined that coronavirus may cause smell dysfunction, but it doesn’t cause permanent anosmia. People who have anosmia as a COVID-19 side effect usually regain their sense of smell in approximately two to three weeks. This is an estimate; recovery times can vary.
Reference:
- Mayo Clinic. (2022). Coronavirus disease 2019.
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. (2022). Coronavirus and the Nervous System.
- WebMD. (2021). What Is Anosmia?
- Cleveland Clinic. (2021). Anosmia (Loss of Sense of Smell)
