Anxious behaviour or depressed mood in COVID-19 patients may be a sign that the virus affects the central nervous system, suggests an international study led by a University of Cincinnati College of Medicine researcher. These two psychological symptoms were most closely associated with a loss of smell and taste rather than the more severe indicators of the novel coronavirus such as shortness of breath, cough or fever, according to the study. Severity of the loss of smell or taste, nasal obstruction, excessive mucus production, fever, cough and shortness of breath during COVID-19 were assessed.