Hiposmia Characteristics, New Symptoms Of COVID-19

Illustration of COVID-19 (Photo: Pexels)

JAKARTA - Hyosmia is one of the new symptoms of COVID-19. Without fever as usual, hyposmia is characterized by symptoms of a decrease in the ability to treat something.

"For example, the smell of amis is still sweet or sweet, but the intensity of the smell is reduced," said Dr Anton Sony Wibowo, Lecturer and specialist in THT Academic Hospital (RSA) Universitas Gadjah Mada Yogyakarta, quoted from ANTARA, Friday, December 23.

Patients who experience hyposmia, said Anton, often complain about objects or sources of smell that should be strongly smelled, but only smell faint or unclear, even though the type of smell is still the same.

He mentioned that during the COVID-19 pandemic, there were quite a lot of cases of patients with hyposmia. Overseas, he said, it was reported that about 60 percent of outpatients reportedly complained about the decline in their ability to work.

"My research at RSA UGM in 2022, around 50 percent of patients in outpatients who experience hyposmia," he said.

Hyposmia is a symptom that does not only arise due to COVID-19 infection. However, these symptoms can occur due to nasal and sinus infections, nasal turbine hypertrophy, and other viral infections, even due to head injuries.

Anton said the treatment of hyposmia was in the form of treatment for the virus itself. In addition, it is coupled with other supportive therapies such as certain multivitamins.

"The most important thing is to treat basic diseases because hyposmia is only a symptom," he said.

Even though COVID-19 in Indonesia is reportedly sloping with the number of daily cases continuing to decline, Anton appealed to the public to maintain health protocols.

"We must not be careless in continuing to maintain the transmission of cases because COVID-19 is still there," he said.

He also asked the public to immediately vaccinate those who have not received it. Then, those who have been vaccinated to carry out booster vaccinations to increase antibodies so that the risk of COVID-19 transmission can be suppressed.