Loss of smell and taste in combination with other symptoms is a strong predictor of COVID-19 infection

Cristina Menni; Ana Valdes; Maxim B Freydin; Sajaysurya Ganesh; Julia El-Sayed Moustafa; Alessia Visconti; Pirro Hysi; Ruth C E Bowyer; Massimo Mangino; Mario Falchi; Jonathan Wolf; Claire Steves; Tim Spector

The COVID RADAR Symptom Tracker app developed by Zoe Global Limited and King's College London was launched in the UK on Tuesday the 24 th March 2020, and in less than a week has reached 1,573,103 subscribers. It enables capture of self-reported information related to COVID-19 infections. On first use, the app records self-reported location, age, and core health risk factors. With continued use, participants provide daily updates on symptoms, health care visits, COVID-19 testing results, and if they are self-quarantining or seeking health care, including the level of intervention and related outcomes. Individuals without apparent symptoms are also encouraged to use the app. Through direct updates, the research team can add or modify questions in real-time to capture new data to test emerging hypotheses about COVID-19 symptoms and treatments. Importantly, participants enrolled in ongoing epidemiologic studies, clinical cohorts, or clinical trials, can provide informed consent to link data collected through the app in a HIPPA and GDPR-compliant manner with extant study data they have previously provided or may provide in the future.