This is one of the signs that quickly put the flea in the ears of doctors: anosmia, or the sudden loss of smell, is one of the symptoms of Covid-19.
Loss of smell that can last for several months
Anosmia is a common symptom of the new coronavirus, along with fever, dry cough, diarrhea or headache.
It was when the epidemic began to gain momentum that doctors and ENT doctors were alerted by numerous cases of people with this symptom, even though they did not have a blocked nose.
A loss of smell that can last for several weeks or even months.
A sign that alone allows the diagnosis of Covid-19 to be established
According to Hirac Gurden, director of neuroscience research at CNRS, specialist in the olfactory system, anosmia is a symptom pathognomonic, which means that it alone allows the diagnosis of the disease to be established. In fact, no known virus has so far had this effect on olfactory activity.
An “olfactory training” to accelerate healing
If no specific treatment currently exists, an olfactory rehabilitation program is recommended by doctors to speed up the process.
This olfactory training consists first of all in stimulating the cognitive functions which associate memory with smell, by training in “smelling” everyday smells, by using all of your senses and by calling on your memory.
In collaboration with Hirac Gurden, the association Anosmie.org, has made available on its site a rehabilitation protocol precise, already downloaded more than 15,000 times, which is based on the work of German researcher Thomas Hummel.
Other possible solutions
Some doctors also recommend corticosteroid treatment when the odors start to come back.
For his part, Dr. Abdullo Khodjaev, otolaryngologist at the MedSwiss medical center in Moscow, recommends using drugs that contain vasoconstrictors, nasal drops, regularly irrigating the nasal cavities and consuming vitamins from the group. B, which help regenerate nerve cells.
According to initial data, it is estimated that around 8% of anosmic patients in the now called first wave of Covid-19 have still not recovered their sense of smell.
