Meditalk: Can smell tests be used to detect Covid-19?

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DEAR Dr. Fritz,

Good day. I have read that Covid-19 patients are more likely to lose their smell than have fever. Is this true? So, can we use smell tests to detect Covid-19?

Thanks for your insight.

Marlowe M.

***

Dear Marlowe M.,

Yes, you have heard it right. Covid-19 patients were 27 times more likely to lose their sense of smell, and they were only 2.6 times more likely to have fever or chills.

There could be several possible reasons. One, is that the virus can cause damage to neurons, which are responsible for transmitting signals to and from the brain, including the signals of taste and smell. Cid-19 virus may also interfere with the sodium transporter which is present in our airways, nose and mouth.

So if a person is otherwise healthy, and did not have any preexisting reasons for loss of taste and/or smell, that should raise the index of suspicion that they have Covid-19 infection whether or not they had additional symptoms.

So, what is a good screen at home when you are losing that sense of smell, which could possibly be due to Covid-19?

Well, if you didn’t smell things right that could be a sign. You have to talk to a healthcare professional. But, remember that not everybody who has lost their sense of taste and smell has Covid-19 infection.

The truth is, there are ongoing studies on these smell tests and Covid-19. I hope these researches will inform us if we can use this smell test for screening purposes.

And if you feel you have lost your sense of smell or taste, talk to your doctor and be sure to quarantine yourself and have this confirmed with RT-PCR swab tests.

Good luck!

Dr. Fritz

(Dr. Fritz Legarde Espedilla is an aesthetic dermatologist and surgeon and a clinical sexologist. She is also trained in hypnotherapy and Medical Acupuncture. She is the co-host of digital page of Superbalita. She has been in the broadcast media for more than a decade and has written a book based on her 15-year stint with her radio program, Healthy is Sexy Secrets ni Dr. Fritz. For your questions, you may send them to Dear Dr. Fritz, c/o Sunstar-Davao Publishing Inc., Ebro-Pelayo Building, Jacinto St., Davao City, (former Department of Foreign Affairs office), across Ateneo de Davao University and beside Holy Child School of Davao, or you e-mail them to dokfritz@yahoo.com. If you don’t wish your letter to be published, we regret that we cannot answer them. Thank you for your understanding.)

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