Olfactory and taste disorder: The first and only sign in a patient with SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia

To the Editor—Severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), first reported in Wuhan City of Hubei Province of China, has now rapidly spread throughout the world.1 Genome sequencing showed that the causal agent of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a β-coronavirus belonging to subgenus of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) viruses but a different clade.2 Common clinical manifestations include fever, cough, fatigue, dyspnea, and myalgia or arthralgia.3 Recently, Giacomelli et al4 reported that 20 of 59 (33.9%) of SARS-CoV-2–positive hospitalized patients had an olfactory or taste disorder.4 SARS-CoV-2 can be transmitted in the asymptomatic or paucisymptomatic stages; therefore, olfactory and taste disorders can be significant signs for its early detection to control transmission. Considering the viral load in our patient, which was measured after 14 days of quarantine, SARS-CoV-2–positive patients, even when paucisymptomatic, could have relatively high viral titers, which could contribute to the rapid transmission of SARS-CoV-2.5,6 Moreover, because transmission can occur in the early course of infection, identification of such initial symptoms can help with the early detection of SARS-CoV-2. With this report, we emphasize the necessity for more intensive screening criteria for SARS-CoV-2 infections to ensure their appropriate identification and the prompt quarantine of suspected patients to help prevent the transmission of this virus.