The Loss of Smell and Taste in the COVID-19 Outbreak: a Tale of Many Countries.
Curr Allergy Asthma Rep
; 20(10): 61, 2020 08 03.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-32748211
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Olfactory dysfunction in upper airway viral infections (common cold, acute rhinosinusitis) is common (> 60%). During the COVID-19 outbreak, frequency of sensory disorders (smell and/or taste) in affected patients has shown a high variability from 5 to 98%, depending on the methodology, country, and study. RECENT FINDINGS:
A sudden, severe, isolated loss of smell and/or taste, in the absence of other upper airway inflammatory diseases (allergic rhinitis, chronic rhinosinusitis, nasal polyposis), should alert individuals and physicians on being potentially affected by COVID-19. The evaluation of smell/taste disorders with a visual analogue scale or an individual olfactory or gustatory test, at the hospital or by telemedicine, to prevent contamination might facilitate an early detection of infected patients and reduce the transmission of SARS-CoV-2. During the COVID-19 outbreak, patients with sudden loss of smell should initiate social distancing and home isolation measures and be tested for SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic test when available. Olfactory training is recommended when smell does not come back after 1 month but can be started earlier.Palavras-chave
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Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Pneumonia Viral
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Distúrbios do Paladar
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Infecções por Coronavirus
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Pandemias
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Betacoronavirus
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Transtornos do Olfato
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2020
Tipo de documento:
Article