How Coffee Is Helping Researchers Diagnose COVID-19

For most of us, starting our day with a warm cup of joe is a sure fire way to jump start our brains and bodies. Not only is this rocket fuel incredibly beneficial to aid our morning jolts, but according to Johns Hopkins Medicine, studies show the right amount coffee can do more than perk us up. Coffee has the ability to help us live longer, help with heart failure, lower odds of colon cancer, and even decrease the risk of Alzehimer's disease. While you might think these reasons are enough to make it more valuable than gold, you might be shocked to know that coffee is also being used as a COVID-19 sniff test of sorts, according to The Takeout. Not sure if you have COVID-19? Try sniffing your coffee.

According to Scientific American, recent studies report a staggering 80 percent of people with COVID-19 suffer anosmia, or what's known as loss of smell. With smell loss being one of the top symptoms of those with the disease, some researchers have gone on to suggest a simple at-home diagnostic test, as it can oftentimes be more reliable than testing for fevers or other symptoms like a cough. Yup, you guessed it — a deep whiff of your morning coffee can be a simple indicator of whether you might be positive or not.

James Schwob, professor at Tufts University School of Medicine, explained to Tufts Now that coffee is a simple tool to use. "One of the things that can be done pretty easily, pretty objectively by someone at home would be to take some ground coffee and see how far away you can hold it and still smell it," Schwob told the publication. He also said if you're all out of coffee, another great option to use is rubbing alcohol. Schwob added, "If your nose is not congested and you have trouble recognizing those or other scents that are familiar to you, you might want to call your doctor about getting tested."

Apparently coffee has proven to be such a useful tool that researchers are upping their coffee-testing game and introducing it into olfactory test strips (via Daily Coffee News) and heavily encourage medical professionals to use it as a diagnostic aid.

Keep in mind a sniffing coffee test doesn't necessarily determine COVID-19 results and is also not an official exam. The CDC states other symptoms of COVID-19 to watch out for are fever, cough, shortness of breath and body aches. If you're having emergency warning signs like trouble breathing, an inability to stay awake or bluish lips, it recommends you seek medical care immediately.