Kathmandu. Indian health experts have claimed that the loss of taste and smell, as well as diarrhoea, are symptoms of non-severe 14-day COVID-19 infection, that does not invite severe complications such as a respiratory attack.

During the documented stats of 10-month long pandemic, critical patients who usually land in ICU have no history of true loss of smell or taste.

• The loss of taste in Covid-19 usually involves overpowering salty or extreme sweet taste; e.g: water tastes extremely sweet.
• The loss of smell while smelling a perfume during COVID-19 infection usually involves the domination of alcohol over fragrance.

These types of induced loss of smell and taste usually begin to normalize after 3 or 4 weeks.

Dr Arun Lakhanpal, Interventional pulmonologist and Critical Care specialist, at Noida-based Yatharth Hospital said that about 40 per cent of the lucky patients report having felt the loss of smell and taste.

Star of a viral Tik-Tok video, Russell Donnelly told TODAY, “I’m lucky that no other symptoms came up.” In the viral video, Russell was seen eating onion, garlic paste and lemon juice and saying, “This is a crazy virus.”

Dr Sushila Kataria from Gurgaon Medanta said, though the actual cause of loss of smell and taste and diarrhoea in COVID-19 disease is not really known, most of these patients do not require hospitalization or oxygen support.

Lakhanpal further warns that the loss of smell and taste isn’t the sole sign for COVID-19. The patients with the following conditions are likely to experience loss of taste and smell.

• rhinitis
• sinusitis
• brain tumors
• some medications

However, we should not take these symptoms lightly. We should isolate ourselves to break the chain of transmission. We should monitor our temperature every four hours, and also check oxygen levels with a pulse oximeter. And, If the symptoms persist for more than 3 days, we should get tested for COVID-19.