January 26, 2021 – A new online tool is could help people detect the symptoms of COVID-19 sooner. The loss of taste and smell is one of the recognizable signs of the virus, but you may not know right away says University of Illinois Food Science Assistant Professor Yanina Pepino. The online smell and taste challenge asks users to track their senses daily, first thing in the morning.
“We ask you to smell and taste your morning beverage. It can be your coffee, it can be juice, whatever it is that you use every day. Ideally, it works best when you use the same product,” said Pepino.
If you see a dramatic reduction in your sense of smell and taste, that could be a sign of COVID-19 says Pepino. Recognizing this could help people to quarantine or seek testing more quickly.
You can access the test here.
