Are BA.5 Patients More Likely , To Lose Sense of Smell?.
NBC News reports doctors in the United States say that with the rise of the BA.5 subvariant, .
Peculiar symptoms of coronavirus may be making a comeback.
Most noticeably, health care providers say many patients once again report a loss of smell.
What I am seeing in my corner of the world is a spike.
, Valentina Parma, psychologist, Monell Chemical Senses Center of Philadelphia, via NBC News.
As the coronavirus pandemic lingers on, new variants and subvariants have appeared less likely to cause a loss of smell than previous ones.
One study found that the Alpha variant, the first variant which caused concern among health care providers.
Was 50% less likely to impair smell than the original strain of coronavirus.
In comparison, the Delta variant only caused about 44% of patients to lose their sense of smell.
During the first Omicron wave, only 17% of patients reported a loss of smell.
During the first Omicron wave, only 17% of patients reported a loss of smell.
Still early in the wave of the BA.5 subvariant, experts say evidence of loss of smell is based on personal accounts rather than facts.
I have talked to people overall about losing their taste and smell lately and it seems that there is an uptick, but the data isn’t there yet.
, Dr. Lora Bankova, allergist and immunologist Brigham, Women's Hospital of Boston, via NBC News
