Laura Bramante knew something was wrong when she couldn't smell or taste her morning coffee.
That was a week ago.
The 29-year-old says it was an intense loss of smell and taste like she had never experienced before.
"It is very altered, it still is very strange."
She did some googling and found out it could be an early sign of COVID-19 so she called the coronavirus hotline but as it was her only symptom, she was knocked back because she didn't fit the criteria.
Laura Bramante is a 29-year-old account manager from Fitzroy North. Source: Supplied/SBS News
"It was the only symptom that I had and they said to me that they'd actually never heard of the taste or smell symptom before and (said) that they won't go ahead with getting me tested."
It was only after exaggerating other symptoms that she was eventually tested.
The results came back positive and she's been in quarantine since.
Melbourne ear, nose and throat surgeon Dr Stephen Kleid says it's not an unusual symptom for the virus.
"It's because the lining of the nose and sinuses is the same as the lining of the lung and that's the target organ that the virus initially attaches to."
Globally, it's more common than we think, a survey of 2,000 patients with a mild infection in South Korea found 15 percent had some degree of smell loss.
In Germany, two in three confirmed cases have the condition which is known as anosmia.
Laura Bramante is seen during her period of self-isolation. Source: Supplied/SBS News
In the UK, ear nose and throat surgeons wrote a letter saying "these patients may be some of the hitherto hidden carriers that have facilitated the rapid spread of COVID-19."
As more Australian patients experience the condition, there are calls for the loss of sense of smell to be recognised as an official symptom here, to identify those unwittingly carrying and potentially spreading the virus.
"I would suggest that patients who've lost their sense of smell should be tested and isolated again they should be treated as if they might be carrying the virus."
But others say more research is needed because it's not that common yet in Australia.
Prof Bill Rawlinson, Senior Medical Virologist from UNSW says "we are learning and it will present differently in different populations".
Most experts agree the testing criteria will be broadened depending on the number of kits and resources.
Ideally though, they won't be needed if everyone stays home.
