re: Observation: a large surge in TD posters saying they have covid

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I don’t know about wearing finger tip covers when I post on Tigerdroppings but I do wear a condom...

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I've had the flu a dozen times at least. I've never lost smell before, this is something different

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In a small new study, skipping the flu vaccine was associated with a higher risk for trouble with a sense of smell or taste.

Researchers say the results are preliminary, but since respiratory viruses are a common cause of a lost ability to smell, it’s possible that the flu could be a contributing factor.

Respiratory viruses can damage olfactory nerves directly and indirectly by causing inflammation. Sometimes the effect is temporary, but not always, Dr. Zara Patel and colleagues at the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia write in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.

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You’ve never lost your sense of smell before?

Even though that is a common symptom of many types of colds and flus?

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The loss of smell that can accompany coronavirus is unique and different from that experienced by someone with a bad cold or flu, say European researchers who have studied the experiences of patients.

When Covid-19 patients have smell loss it tends to be sudden and severe.

And they usually don't have a blocked, stuffy or runny nose - most people with coronavirus can still breathe freely.

Another thing that sets them apart is their "true" loss of taste.

It's not that their taste is somewhat impaired because their sense of smell is out of action, say the researchers in the journal Rhinology . Coronavirus patients with loss of taste really cannot tell the difference between bitter or sweet.

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