One of the most common symptoms of COVID-19 is loss of taste and smell. Since this symptom usually occurs shortly after being infected, it tests these senses first when they think they have coronavirus.
Most of us do this test by sniffing something that can be easily smelled. Or by eating a snack in the kitchen that can pop right into our mouths. However, some people go a little too far and turn this test into a ‘challenge’. One of them is English rugby star Joe Marler.
Video of Joe Marler eating cayenne pepper to test his sense of taste:
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English rugby player Joe Marler, who plays for the Harlequin F. C. team, received a positive result from the COVID-19 test he entered. Like many people who suspect or test positive for COVID-19, he wondered if his senses of taste and smell were OK. However, finding it too ordinary to smell cologne or eat chocolate, Marler chose to eat hot peppers for a sense test.
Marler, who was in front of the camera for the test, was aware that the sensation of pain may not have anything to do with taste. However, the famous athlete, who chose to take this risk, took almost all of the pepper with one bite. Marler, who did not feel the taste of the pepper while chewing, began to feel the pain after a while. A few seconds later, as his sense of pain increased, he ran inside and looked for ways to relieve it. This may be because the VR1 receptors, which detect the capsaicin substance that makes things bitter, are perhaps unaffected by the coronavirus.