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Mil Med
. 2020 Aug 10;usaa196.
doi: 10.1093/milmed/usaa196. Online ahead of print.
Case Report: COVID-19 Patient With Chief Complaint of Anosmia and Ageusia; a Unique Perspective on Atypical Symptomatology and Management in the Military
L T Alicia C Smith 1 , C D R James Hodges 1 , Molly Pratt 1 , L C D R Ian M Porter 1
Affiliations
- PMID: 32776115
- DOI: 10.1093/milmed/usaa196
Abstract
A novel corona virus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2, found in Wuhan, China in December 2019 has since spread to multiple continents and has been implicated in thousands of deaths. This pandemic-causing virus has been initially described (corona virus disease 2019 [COVID-19]) with the presentation of fever, cough, and shortness of breath. The majority of studies published have been conducted on inpatient cases and a shortage of tests has encouraged screening only of patients with classic presentation. A positive COVID-19 case of a healthy military male, with the chief complaint of anosmia and ageusia, instigated local re-evaluation of the screening protocol for possible COVID-19 patients. Multiple studies in Europe have implicated anosmia and ageusia as symptoms associated with COVID-19, and subsequently, anosmia and ageusia have been added to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention screening guidelines as well. There should be a higher index of suspicion when evaluating a patient with high-risk activities, travel, and atypical symptoms. More studies need to be conducted with a healthy outpatient population to further understand this disease and decrease its impact.