This symptom means you're 10x more likely to have coronavirus COVID-19

Doctors around the world are looking for symptoms that indicate a COVID-19 infection, and a recent study has been published that identifies one symptom in particular.

This one symptom is most likely something you have heard of before, and if you do happen to have it, you are ten times more likely to have COVID-19 infection than any other causes of infection. According to UC San Diego Health otolaryngologist and head and neck surgeon Carol Yan, who spoke to UC San Diego News Center, "Based on our study, if you have smell and taste loss, you are more than 10 times more likely to have COVID-19 infection than other causes of infection. The most common first sign of a COVID-19 infection remains fever, but fatigue and loss of smell and taste follow as other very common initial symptoms."

Yan continued, "We know COVID-19 is an extremely contagious virus. This study supports the need to be aware of smell and taste loss as early signs of COVID-19." The study surveyed 1,480 patients that had flu-like symptoms from March 3rd to March 29th, and what they found was that there was a high incidence rate of a loss of smell and taste in patients who tested positive for COVID-19 infection. The study also found that patients who did report a loss of smell and taste recovered both senses generally rapidly.

Here's what Yan said, "Our study not only showed that the high incidence of smell and taste is specific to COVID-19 infection but we fortunately also found that for the majority of people sensory recovery was generally rapid. Among the COVID-19 patients with smell loss, more than 70 percent had reported improvement of smell at the time of survey, and of those who hadn't reported improvement, many had only been diagnosed recently."

If you are interested in reading more on this study, check it out here.

Important Coronavirus COVID-19 Information:

The human body fight: A video has been released showing exactly how the coronavirus kills you, more on that can be found here.

Protection - The Surgeon General has released a video showing you how to make a face covering in just 35 seconds, find out how here.

Coronavirus killing drugs: A drug has been found that can remove any trace of the coronavirus in just 48 hours, read more on that here.

Coronavirus symptoms - An important early warning sign for the coronavirus has been found, discover what it is here.

Prevention: A coronavirus expert has revealed why soap is better at preventing you from contracting the the disease than hand sanitizer, read why here.

Masks: A study has shown that masks aren't an effective way to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, here's why.

New symptom: A new coronavirus symptom has been found by doctors, check out what it is here.

Airborne: Scientists have managed to be able to pinpoint just how far the coronavirus can travel in the air, more on that can be read here.