Early detection of COVID-19: “If you don’t feel the taste of salt (ageusia); if you lose the sense of smell (anosmia).” KB.

Last update and review: April 25, 2020.

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French virologist Didier Raoult contributed the following comment on the early detection of COVID-19, which is a disease that follows infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Early detection and treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection are important. But in a considerable proportion of infected people, there is no fever nor cough during the first days after infection. Therefore, other early signs are useful.

Didier Raoult:

“If you don’t feel the taste of salt (ageusia), if you lose the sense of smell (anosmia)… (you may be infected)”.

If the infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus is not detected early, the consequences can be serious.

Catastrophic COVID-19 mortality rates among the hospitalized males in the New York City area: above 80 years old – 60.6%, 70-70 years old – 35.8%, 60-69 years old – 18.7%, 50-59 years old – 12.2%, 20-49 years old – around 7%.

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