STUNNED coronavirus victims are eating raw onions, downing vinegar and chomping chilli flakes - without tasting a thing.

One of the symptoms of the deadly bug is believed to be losing your sense of taste and smell - with experts warning it could be a sign someone is a "hidden carrier" of coronavirus.

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5 Charlotte Webby, 29, eats a spoonful of mustard powder - but can't taste a thing Credit: The Sun Online

5 John Hutchinson also took a bite out of an onion - saying it could have been an apple Credit: The Sun Online

And the Sun Online today put the surprising symptom to the test - with victims trying bizarre foods in an attempt to see if they can taste anything.

Charlotte Webby, 29, chomped on raw garlic without wincing before trying mustard powder and even Marmite - capturing her bewildered reaction on camera.

She told The Sun Online: "I don't have any of the other symptoms - no fever, no cough.

"I've had a mild cold - sneezing, a blocked nose and two days of muscle aches.

"What makes me think it's the virus is that it's so extreme.

"It's not like a normal cold where you have a stuffy nose and your taste is diminished - it's completely gone."

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The British Association of Otorhinolaryngology (ENT UK) has previously warned that patients who have lost their sense of taste and smell could have contracted the deadly bug - even if they don't have a fever or cough.

And a top expert warned that young people who suddenly lose their sense of smell or taste could be "hidden carriers" of coronavirus.

And while more than half of coronavirus sufferers do report loss of sense and smell, doctors still WON'T recognise it as official symptom.

And Charlotte, who has been self-isolating, said she believed she could have the bug - testing her unexpected symptom by eating a spoonful of salty Marmite.

But filming her unfazed reaction, she said: "It could be Nutella, I don't know. Nothing."

And the New Zealander, who has lived in the UK for more than five years, even tried some chilli flakes.

She said that normally, her eyes would be "streaming" from the heat.

But the host of podcast We Barely Know Each Other said: "I can't taste anything. I can't even taste that they are hot.

"It's like chewing on dirt. Nothing."

Even garlic cloves failed to spark a reaction, with Charlotte saying: "Is it a grape? Is it a piece of orange? I don't know."

And Sun journalist John Hutchinson is now on his thirteenth day without taste or smell.

Despite not having the fever, John said he had been isolating as he had a cough, sore throat and two days of painful breathing.

Scientists have produced a day-by-day breakdown of the typical Covid-19 symptoms

He said: "They are mild symptoms, I believe of coronavirus.

"Now I'm just feeling a bit fluey and a bit cold-y with it.

"But the taste and smell are simply just not there."

Proving his point, the journo downed two glasses of vinegar without flinching - saying "it tastes just like I'm drinking water."

He even grabbed a white onion - taking a huge bite out of it.

He added: "Pretty much just eat it like an apple. Again, no taste."

And John said more should be done to raise awareness for the symptom.

He said: "I think it is absolutely ridiculous how it took so long for medics to acknowledge this as one of THE main symptoms of the coronavirus.

"Without doubt it is and I am 100 per cent certain I have the virus."

It comes after Gary Lineker's son George shared a clip of himself drinking vinegar - saying he couldn't taste a thing.

Currently, the only two official symptoms people are suppose to self-isolate for are if they have a new, continuous cough or a high temperature.

The UK death toll has today continued to climb with more than 2,000 fatalities so far.

A 13-year-old boy is believed to be the youngest UK victim.

5 Charlotte tried some Marmite but said it could have been Nutella Credit: The Sun Online

5 Charlotte ate a raw garlic clove without flinching Credit: The Sun Online

5 John downed vinegar but said it tasted just like water Credit: The Sun Online