UB: Loss of Taste or Smell Strong Indicator of Which Health Care Workers Will Test Positive for COVID-19

Updated August 11, 2020

Brian Clemency, DO, associate professor of emergency medicine, is lead author on a study that found the loss of taste and smell had the highest correlation to a positive test result for COVID-19. “The data analysis showed that the loss of smell or taste, which has only recently been included in the list of COVID-19 symptoms, was the symptom with the highest likelihood of a positive result,” Clemency said, adding that fever was also predictive of positive test results.