Why You Might Want To Do A 'Smell Test' Every Morning

Our daily lives during a pandemic have seen some new habits that have quickly become the "new normal" for many. Perhaps hand sanitizer now lives in the cup holder of your car. Bumping elbows to greet others has somehow become less awkward and more routine. The tweaks we've made are an effort to help keep us safe from the COVID-19 virus and to prevent spreading it further. As we work together in our fight to keep infection cases low, there is a new habit that you might want to introduce to your morning routine.

If you conduct a smell test every morning, you are making a positive effort in stopping the COVID-19 virus in its tracks. According to CNN, it is believed 44 to 77 percent of people infected with the COVID-19 virus lose their sense of smell. So if you have noticed that you suddenly can't smell your daily cup of coffee or the scented candle in your bathroom, then it may be a good idea to isolate yourself until you can take a COVID test.

Unexplained loss of smell, or anosmia, is usually quite rare with other viral infections, particularly in the absence of congestion or nasal blockage, CNN reports. And unlike doing a fever check, which can be a symptom of many other illnesses, anosmia is a specific feature that's much greater in COVID-19 patients in comparison to those who have a cold or the flu, HPN states.

Of course, a DIY smell test at home is not a 100 percent effective screening method for COVID-19. But as Science Alert reminds us, it is imperative that we as individuals continue practicing harm reduction habits during a pandemic. Checking to see if you can still smell your shampoo or favorite hand soap costs nothing and takes up very little time. Even those who find themselves rushing out the door with seconds to spare every morning can still get a simple smell test done. So go ahead and enjoy that first cup of coffee and take a whiff of something in the morning before going about your day.