Are BA.5 Patients More Likely , To Lose Sense of Smell?.<br />NBC News reports doctors in the United States <br />say that with the rise of the BA.5 subvariant, .<br />peculiar symptoms of coronavirus <br />may be making a comeback.<br />Most noticeably, health care providers say many patients once again report a loss of smell.<br />What I am seeing <br />in my corner of the world is a spike. , Valentina Parma, psychologist, Monell Chemical Senses Center of Philadelphia, via NBC News.<br />As the coronavirus pandemic lingers on, new variants and subvariants have appeared less likely to cause a loss of smell than previous ones.<br />One study found that the Alpha variant, the first variant which caused concern among health care providers.<br />was 50% less likely to impair smell than<br />the original strain of coronavirus.<br />In comparison, the Delta variant only <br />caused about 44% of patients to <br />lose their sense of smell.<br />During the first Omicron wave, only 17% <br />of patients reported a loss of smell.<br />During the first Omicron wave, only 17% <br />of patients reported a loss of smell.<br />Still early in the wave of the BA.5 subvariant, experts say evidence of loss of smell is based <br />on personal accounts rather than facts.<br />I have talked to people overall about losing their taste and smell lately and it seems that there is an uptick, but the data isn’t there yet. , Dr. Lora Bankova, allergist and immunologist Brigham, Women's Hospital of Boston, via NBC News
