Cincinnati Enquirer: Lost sense of smell among coronavirus symptoms

UC expert in diseases of the ear, nose and throat researching link

Ear, Nose and Throat specialists across the nation are seeing an uptick in patients showing up with decreased or completely lost sense of smell in conjunction with the arrival of the conoravirus. It may be a clue in identifying individuals who are impacted by this virus.

Ahmad Sedaghat, MD, PhD, associate professor in the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist at UC Health, is performing research in this area of coronavirus-associated smell loss in close collaboration with other experts.  He spoke with the Cincinnati Enquirer about this emerging area of interest associated with COVID-19.

"If you experience a decrease or complete loss of the sense of smell with no nasal obstruction – that's according to doctors coming out of Europe – the odds are incredibly high that you are infected with the novel coronavirus," Sedaghat told a reporter for the Enquirer.

Read the interview with Dr. Sedaghat online.

Impact Lives Here

The University of Cincinnati is leading public urban universities into a new era of innovation and impact. Our faculty, staff and students are saving lives, changing outcomes and bending the future in our city's direction. Next Lives Here.

Stay up on all UC's COVID-19 stories, read more #UCtheGood content, or take a UC virtual visit and begin picturing yourself at an institution that inspires incredible stories. 

Related Stories

1

Tips to avoid headaches this holiday season

December 15, 2025

A University of Cincinnati migraine expert offered a list of potential headache triggers around the holidays, and how you can try to avoid them, to 91.7 WVXU News. "There are a number of different factors that make this a very headache provocative time," said Vincent Martin, MD, professor of clinical medicine at the University of Cincinnati's College of Medicine and director of the Headache and Facial Pain Center at the Gardner Neuroscience Institute.