It is no longer news that loss of sense of smell and taste are recognized symptoms of Covid-19.

It is no longer news also that even the world health organization (WHO) has wondered why Africans are not recording the kind of mortalities from Covid-19 as being recorded in the Western and other developed countries.

Even those that predicted a lot of body bags in the streets of Africa have been disappointed to say the least.

There has been a rise of people complaining of loss of sense of smell and taste and there has been a plethora of such complaints here on nairaland.

From my interactions with patients (over the phone), the complaints keep coming and of all these complaints, we have noticed a spontaneous recovery from virtually all of them.

Could it be that those individuals were actually infected with the Covid-19 virus and recovered without hospitalization or treatment, since our testing capacity in Nigeria is still low.

I have also not really heard (from the media and my interactions with colleagues) that those who were admitted into the hospital or those that died of Covid-19 complained of loss of sense of smell or taste.

If the above assertion is correct, it means then that people presenting with loss of sense of smell and taste are likely going to have a milder form of the disease without being admitted to the hospital, while those who tested positive to covid-19 with normal sense off smell and taste stands the chance of likely hospital admission and treatment.

The government and Federal Ministry of health should focus on these symptoms especially for those who tested positive and advise them to self-isolate at home and reserve the hospital beds for others who may really need them. This will also reduce cost for the government and allay anxiety on the part of the patients.

Could it be that following infection, the virus harbours within the nasal epithelium, transmit signals to the olfactory lobe and secondarily helps the body to develop a widespread immunity against the virus?

Could this be why the case fatality is low in Africa? Time shall tell.

I am just thinking aloud!!!

Imagine malaria is as contagious as coronavirus..
We in africa are used to it already..but u see those onyibo..God na en go help them..
Na so I dey reason this virus for here too..

ChelseaDr:

If the above assertion is correct, it means then that people presenting with loss of sense of smell and taste are likely going to have a milder form of the disease without being admitted to the hospital, while those who tested positive to covid-19 with normal sense off smell and taste stands the chance of likely hospital admission and treatment.

@OP, how many of those who reported having these symptoms also reported having any of the pre-existing conditions that are said to put people at higher risk for severe illness?

Possible
But this would require further studies and research.

I even wish a random sample of the population in maybe Lagos could be picked and tested , to have an idea of the incidence of covid in the population.
This was done in Afghanistan where about 500 random apparently healthy people in the capital city of Kabul were selected and tested for Coronavirus and about 150 of them actually tested positive, that's 30% prevalence rate !!

And as of the time that study was carried out, which was earlier this month, the official statistics were that Afghanistan had carried out 12000 tests nationwide and about 2700 had tested positive.

Just goes to show how far and wide the disease had spread, and that their official numbers were a poor reflection of the actual situation on ground.

That's probably the same thing happening in Nigeria. Just my opinion though.

Kobojunkie:

@OP, how many of those who reported having these symptoms also reported having any of the pre-existing conditions that are said to put people at higher risk for severe illness?

Majority so far presented with these symptoms only.

If you have gone through nairaland health section, you will also notice that most of those people complained of loss of sense of smell and taste only.

However, I have not carried out any studies to validated this claim, it is just based on my personal observations.

I wish we come together and unravel this mystery. There is an obvious gap in knowledge and we need to fill it.

Lorazepam:
Possible
But this would require further studies and research.

I even wish a random sample of the population in maybe Lagos could be picked and tested , to have an idea of the incidence of covid in the population.
This was done in Afghanistan where about 500 random apparently healthy people in the capital city of Kabul were selected and tested for Coronavirus and about 150 of them actually tested positive, that's 30% prevalence rate !!

And as of the time that study was carried out, which was earlier this month, the official statistics were that Afghanistan had carried out 12000 tests nationwide and about 2700 had tested positive.

Just goes to show how far and wide the disease had spread, and that their official numbers were a poor reflection of the actual situation on ground.

That's probably the same thing happening in Nigeria. Just my opinion though.

Very correct

ChelseaDr:

Majority so far presented with these symptoms only.
If you have gone through nairaland health section, you will also notice that most of those people complained of loss of sense of smell and taste only.
However, I have not carried out any studies to validated this claim, it is just based on my personal observations.
I wish we come together and unravel this mystery. There is an obvious gap in knowledge and we need to fill it.

Do you mean the majority of those that have shown up on nairaland?

Why not open a thread to ask those who have these symptoms if they have any pre-existing conditions? And if they have been getting treatment of any kind for those.

Check out some of the posts on this thread https://www.nairaland.com/5879703/else-lost-sense-smell-taste/17

ChelseaDr:
It is no longer news that loss of sense of smell and taste are recognized symptoms of Covid-19.

It is no longer news also that even the world health organization (WHO) has wondered why Africans are not recording the kind of mortalities from Covid-19 as being recorded in the Western and other developed countries.

Even those that predicted a lot of body bags in the streets of Africa have been disappointed to say the least.

There has been a rise of people complaining of loss of sense of smell and taste and there has been a plethora of such complaints here on nairaland.

From my interactions with patients (over the phone), the complaints keep coming and of all these complaints, we have noticed a spontaneous recovery from virtually all of them.

Could it be that those individuals were actually infected with the Covid-19 virus and recovered without hospitalization or treatment, since our testing capacity in Nigeria is still low.

I have also not really heard (from the media and my interactions with colleagues) that those who were admitted into the hospital or those that died of Covid-19 complained of loss of sense of smell or taste.

If the above assertion is correct, it means then that people presenting with loss of sense of smell and taste are likely going to have a milder form of the disease without being admitted to the hospital, while those who tested positive to covid-19 with normal sense off smell and taste stands the chance of likely hospital admission and treatment.

The government and Federal Ministry of health should focus on these symptoms especially for those who tested positive and advise them to self-isolate at home and reserve the hospital beds for others who may really need them. This will also reduce cost for the government and allay anxiety on the part of the patients.

Could it be that following infection, the virus harbours within the nasal epithelium, transmit signals to the olfactory lobe and secondarily helps the body to develop a widespread immunity against the virus?

Could this be why the case fatality is low in Africa? Time shall tell.

I am just thinking aloud!!!

This is an intriguing hypothesis Doc. I too perused all 18 pages of the discussion thread devoted to the subject of losing the senses of smell and taste, yet, could not find more that a couple of instances in which the disease was reported to have dramatically intensified, following that loss of smell and taste.

There were certainly a few vivid accounts of overpowering body pain, that appeared regularly among those 18 pages of responses, yet, from what I can discern thus far, all those who responded to that discussion thread remain in comparatively stable health, despite a few reporting lingering symptoms that include the loss of appetite associated with the loss of both taste and smell sensations.

Your suggestion that the loss of smell and taste could be indicative of infection by a comparatively benign mutation of the Corona virus, would certainly be great news to all those who are still living with those symptoms, and might be worried about a relapse. On the other side of the coin, however, one cannot help but wonder whether the preponderance of light symptoms being reported in this forum merely conceals the fact that equal or greater numbers of infected people who experienced similar initial symptoms, are now simply too weak to type a response on their phone, or that those phones have indeed taken away entirely, once the condition of deteriorating covid 19 patients renders them mute.

One thing is for sure. These mysteries will be solved by the medical establishment. How soon that breakthrough occurs, remains an open question.

Jakumo:



This is an intriguing hypothesis Doc. I too perused all 18 pages of the discussion thread devoted to the subject of losing the senses of smell and taste, yet, could not find more that a couple of instances in which the disease was reported to have dramatically intensified, following that loss of smell and taste.

There were certainly a few vivid accounts of overpowering body pain, that appeared regularly among those 18 pages of responses, yet, from what I can discern thus far, all those who responded to that discussion thread remain in comparatively stable health, despite a few reporting lingering symptoms that include the loss of appetite associated with the loss of both taste and smell sensations.

Your suggestion that the loss of smell and taste could be indicative of infection by a comparatively benign mutation of the Corona virus, would certainly be great news to all those who are still living with those symptoms, and might be worried about a relapse. On the other side of the coin, however, one cannot help but wonder whether the preponderance of light symptoms being reported in this forum merely conceals the fact that equal or greater numbers of infected people who experienced similar initial symptoms, are now simply too weak to type a response on their phone, or that those phones have indeed taken away entirely, once the condition of deteriorating covid 19 patients renders them mute.

One thing is for sure. These mysteries will be solved by the medical establishment. How soon that breakthrough occurs, remains an open question.

A million thanks Jakumo.
You are very correct, the mystery will definitely be unraveled one day while hoping that our policy makers would start thinking outside the box.