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Hopkins concedes many people with anosmia probably just have typical rhinovirus and coronavirus strains—in other words, the common cold. Regardless, asking everyone who has lost their sense of smell to self-isolate would be one more important way to stop COVID-19 transmission.
With that in mind, self-isolation is a good place to start if you’ve lost your sense of smell, rather than heading to the doctor’s office.
“While the UK ENT information regarding loss of smell and/or taste is interesting, it is not something we could offer a test for at this time,” Kristin Englund, MA, an adult infectious diseases specialist with Cleveland Clinic, tells Verywell. “We are prioritizing high-risk patients for testing. If a person experiences anosmia, it is reasonable to distance themselves from others, especially those over age 60 and those with chronic medical illnesses, as the symptom could indicate any number of viruses, including COVID-19.”
Aerosols (fine droplets suspended in air): 3 hours
Copper: 4 hours
Cardboard: 24 hours
Plastic: 3 days
Stainless steel: 3 days
Currently, there is not enough research to back this idea. While many articles claimed WHO advised against ibuprofen, its only official statement—issued on Twitter on March 18—says otherwise.
One example of potential COVID-19 spread prior to symptoms includes the Biogen company meeting in Boston, Massachusetts, which has been pinpointed as the source of most cases in the state. Over 100 employees from all over the world—and now, their close contacts—have tested positive for COVID-19 in the days and weeks after attending the meeting. Supposedly, nobody showed symptoms during the two-day conference in February where it initially spread. An investigation into the conference—as well as a closer look at symptom status—is ongoing.
Globally, researchers are highlighting other examples of COVID-19 transmission that may have occurred before people showed symptoms. While published ahead of peer-review and print, an analysis of data from Singapore suggests 48% of cases resulted from pre-symptomatic transmission. The same study puts that statistic at 62% for cases in Tianjin, China.
“We would recommend, for the time being, cancelling all non-essential in-person doctor’s appointments,” he says. “Many health systems are now providing free virtual visits to take the place of the office visits, allowing you to see your doctor from home. If virtual options are not available with your doctor, check with them to see if they feel it is appropriate for you to push back your appointment. This advice holds especially true for those older than 60, but I would advise anyone to avoid healthcare facilities unless truly needed.”
“As of now, it is too early for us to know if this will be a seasonal virus that changes slightly from year to year like influenza does,” Joseph Khabbaza, MD, a pulmonologist at Cleveland Clinic, tells Verywell. “If similar to other respiratory viruses, it is unlikely to get COVID-19 twice in one season.”
Without the proper protections in place, our society will see a sudden spike in COVID-19 cases that is way too high for our healthcare systems to facilitate. As a result, not everyone will get adequate treatment, and more people will die. The alternative? Put protective measures in place—like social distancing—that prevent that spike from happening. COVID-19 will spread more slowly, allowing doctors, researchers, and other healthcare professionals enough time and resources to react. The duration of the virus in the community will be longer, but it will be more manageable.
You should not congregate in groups, and you should stay at least six feet away from others outside your home. Your local government’s instructions will provide more detailed information. Some communities in the U.S., including San Francisco, have asked community members to shelter in place as a way to limit the amount of possible COVID-19 infections. Staying put indoors helps communities stay safe as a whole.
Adults should be less concerned about catching COVID-19 from a child than they should be about potentially spreading it to a child. According to the WHO, “preliminary data from household transmission studies in China suggest that children are infected from adults, rather than vice versa.”
While it’s possible (but unconfirmed) that COVID-19 originally spread from an animal to a human, the CDC has no evidence that livestock, wild animals, or pets are causing its spread in the U.S. at this time.
But what about the other way around: Can people spread COVID-19 to animals? The confirmed case in a Bronx Zoo tiger says yes; the tiger contracted the disease from a zookeeper.
Two cats in two different areas of New York State marked the first confirmed cases of COVID-19 in pets in the U.S., the CDC announced on April 22. Both are expected to make a full recovery. Only one is owned by a human who tested positive for COVID-19.
A pug owned by a North Carolina family infected with COVID-19 is the first known dog in the US to test positive for the disease. The family participated in Duke University’s Molecular and Epidemiological Study of Suspected Infection (MESSI). The dog’s symptoms—sneezing and a lack of appetite—only lasted for a few days.
The CDC maintains it is still very unlikely that pets can pass COVID-19 to humans. For the safety of your pets, do not let them interact with people or other animals outside of your household at this time.
“Having food delivered is felt to be safe at this time, but an emphasis on disinfecting and avoiding close contact with people remains,” Dr. Khabbaza says. He offers three tips for food delivery:
Ask to have the food delivered to your doorstep rather than directly handed to youWipe down any food container with a disinfectant Wash your hands immediately after accepting the delivery and handling the container
For example, researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology report that the majority of COVID-19 transmissions globally have occurred between 3°C and 13°C (37.4 to 55.4°F). Fewer than 5% of cases have occurred in areas where average temperatures were greater than 18°C (64.4°F) throughout January, February, and March.
Situation Report – 46.
