Here is the most common symptom of the coronavirus and it is neither cough nor fever.

The latest data compiled by researchers from the UK’s Office of National Statistics found that loss of taste and smell (anosmia) was the most frequently reported symptom of the coronavirus among those who tested positive from August to October.

Among the over 35s, between 20 and 40% suffered from anosmia, compared to about 15-25% from fever and 13-18% from cough.

The difference was even more pronounced in young people, with up to 60% of those under 35 suffering from anosmia versus 15-25% fever and less than 10% coughing.

The general picture painted by the data shows that from 15 August to 26 October the number of people who tested positive with symptoms of loss of taste or smell increased the most in all age groups.

According to WHO data, the number of cases worldwide is approaching 59 million and more than 1.38 million people have died. The countries most affected are the United States, India and Brazil. France, Russia, Spain, the United Kingdom, Italy, Argentina and Colombia are also among the ten most affected countries.