NHL revises virus protocols; Colorado is 5th team shut down
New York Rangers coach David Quinn of the New York Rangers stands behind the bench during the team's NHL hockey game against the Washington Capitals on Thursday, Feb. 4, 2021, in New York. (Bruce Bennett/Pool Photo via AP)The NHL revised its virus protocols in a bid to keep the shortened season on track, but not before a fifth team was idled by COVID-19 problems. Hours after the league announced changes visible in arenas and important behind the scenes, Colorado joined the growing list of U.S.-based teams shut down for virus concerns. Colorado captain Gabriel Landeskog joined teammate Tyson Jost on the league's COVID-19 unavailable list Thursday. Bettman said fewer than half the players in protocol have been because of a confirmed positive test and many of those were asymptomatic.
Loss of smell, taste due to COVID-19 becoming more common among infected patients
But the loss of smell and taste has many baffled, and it is not as uncommon as you think. “Fifty to 70% of patients who developed COVID-19 or test positive for COVID-19 will lose part or all of their sense of smell and/or taste,” said Justin Turner, MD, PhD, Medical Director of Smell and Taste Center at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Turner said for up to 25% of patients, the loss of smell and taste could be the first and sometimes the only sign of COVID. The loss of smell and taste is associated with upper respiratory infections, such as the common cold. However, a recent study out of Europe found that it is more severe in COVID-19 patients due to the effect of the coronavirus on the brain and nervous system.