Rapid Screening for Olfactory Disorders in Covid-19 Infection

Rapid Screening for Olfactory Disorders in Covid-19 Infection

Loss of smell is very frequently found in Europe during Covid-19 attack. This symptom was not initially expected as part of the classic symptomatology. This loss of smell mainly concerns patients with few or no symptoms, without criteria of severity and usually treated on an outpatient basis. As a result, given the unexpected occurrence of this symptom (with less awareness in the general and medical population) and the potential risk of contamination of Covid+ and anosmic subjects (due to their less symptomatic form), it is interesting to be able to propose large-scale screening for loss of sense of smell in order to preferentially direct subjects diagnosed as anosmic towards RT-PCR-type screening. In the medium term, the loss of smell seems to persist after the infectious phase, with delayed or persistent recovery, which can lead to negative psychological repercussions.

The objective is to propose large-scale screening of the general population for loss of sense of smell during a pandemic period, in order to facilitate diagnostic orientation of the population. The diagnosis of loss of smell will be carried out using a simple olfactory test in the form of an olfactory stick to be smelled.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Subject presenting himself at the covid-19 screening centre set up by the city of Nice

Exclusion Criteria:

• Presence of a sensory deficit (auditory or visual) preventing the subject from answering the questions perfectly during the olfactory test.
• Subject receiving cancer chemotherapy