"If the anosmia, also known as loss of smell, is worse, the patients reported worse shortness of breath and more severe fever and cough," Sedaghat also said.
Loss of smell may also help doctors determine how long a patient has been infected with the virus, which is useful information for determining treatment.
"If someone has a decreased sense of smell with COVID-19, we know they are within the first week of the disease course and there is still another week or two to expect," Sedaghat added.
Per the researcher, early detection may improve the likelihood that the experimental antiviral drug remdesivir, which was originally developed by Gilead Sciences to treat Ebola, would be an effective treatment for any particular COVID-19 case