Health Ministry adds loss of smell, taste to symptoms of COVID-19
Jun 13, 2020
New Delhi [India], June 13 : Union Health Ministry on Saturday added loss of smell (anosmia) and loss of taste (ageusia) in the list of symptoms of COVID-19.
Union Health Ministry in its report titled 'Clinical Management Protocol: COVID-19' has said that COVID-19 patients reporting to various treatment facilities have reported signs and symptoms including fever, cough, fatigue, shortness of breath, expectoration, myalgia, rhinorrhea, sore throat, diarrhoea.
"Loss of smell (anosmia) or loss of taste (ageusia) preceding the onset of respiratory symptoms has also been reported," it said.
According to Ministry, older people and immune-suppressed patients, in particular, may present with atypical symptoms such as fatigue, reduced alertness, reduced mobility, diarrhoea, loss of appetite, delirium, and absence of fever.
Children might not have reported fever or cough as frequently as adults, it said.
The ministry quoting data of Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP)/ Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) portal case investigation forms for COVID-19, said that the details on the signs and symptoms reported (as on June 11, 2020) are -- fever (27 per cent), cough (21 per cent), sore throat (10 per cent), breathlessness (8 per cent), weakness (7 per cent), running nose (3 per cent) and others 24 per cent.
India's COVID-19 count witnessed its highest-ever spike of 11,458 cases on Saturday.
The total number of coronavirus cases in the country now stand at 3,08,993, including 1,45,779 active cases, 1,54,330 cured/discharged/migrated patients and 8,884 deaths.
