The loss of taste and smell the coronavirus causes is different than that from a common cold, pointing to neurological underpinnings

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

• The loss of taste and smell that the the coronavirus causes differs in testable ways from the ways a common cold causes people to lose those senses.
• You can't smell as well with a cold because your nasal passages are blocked; with COVID-19, the symptom seems to be related to the virus's effect on the nervous system. 
• The findings of a new study on this difference may help clinicians distinguish between a cold and the coronavirus even if formal diagnostic tools aren't available. 
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Losing your senses of taste and smell is a common symptom of COVID-19 — patients have reported being unable to tell that they're wearing perfume or pick up on the nuance of a well-balanced dish. 

Anyone who's caught a cold or suffered through the flu might think they can relate, since those ailments also tend to make rich scents and layered flavors less accessible and appealing. (Bring home some bland soup, please.)

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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