GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Head trauma, neurodegenerative disease, even viruses like the flu or common cold -- all of these can cause smell loss, according to Dr. Steven Munger.

Still, the director of the University of Florida Health's Center for Smell and Taste said smell loss as a symptom of COVID-19 seems to be particularly prevalent. Munger said some studies show as many as 50-70% of people diagnosed with the virus experience loss of smell, even if that's their only symptom.

"Really a surprise to us all," said Munger of the connection between the virus and this particular sense.

This week, UF Health learned it's the recipient of a CARES Act-funded $912,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health. It's one of three institutions chosen, along with Penn State University and Arizona State University, to evaluate two scratch-and-sniff smell tests. The goal: evaluate which is better at predicting a COVID-19 diagnosis.

"I think we're all very excited about the emergence of vaccines for COVID-19, and we're hoping that those are going to be able to ramp up very quickly and sort of take this pandemic under control," said Munger. "Right now, there's not always easily available COVID-19 testing for individuals -- not only in the United States, but in other countries around the world. Hopefully, using smell testing as a way of an early indicator of the presence of COVID-19 will help health providers and communities to identify individuals that should be most rapidly targeted to additional testing or to isolation."

One of the smell tests researchers will ask participants to take is based on identifying smells like smoke, strawberries and chocolate. Munger said the smells were chosen based on how common they are across cultures and also wouldn't be beyond the experience of some of the younger people who will take the test. The other smell test up for evaluation checks how sensitive participants are to varying concentrations of the same scent. 

Munger said the recruitment of several thousand study participants is expected to begin next month and will include people from different racial and ethnic backgrounds. 

According to Munger, this research could lead to at-home tests that may be able to help identify early cases of COVID-19. He said they could also be indicators of the beginning of community spread in environments like dorms.