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SARS-CoV-2 and the nose: Risks and implications for primary care
1FRACS, BMed (Hons), GradDipEx@SportSc, BAppSc(Physio), FARS, Visiting Medical Officer, Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, NSW; Visiting Medical Officer, Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Macquarie University Hospital, NSW; Visiting Medical Officer, Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Sydney Adventist Hospital, NSW; Visiting Medical Officer, The ENT Centre, NSW; Clinical Associate Professor, Macquarie University, NSW.
Background:
General practitioners (GPs) have some of the highest rates of mortality from COVID-19 among healthcare workers. SARS-CoV-2 has unique properties that place GPs at particular risk.
Objective:
The aim of this article is to discuss the nose-related features of SARS-CoV-2 that place GPs at risk, and to make recommendations pertinent to the safety and protection of primary healthcare physicians.
Discussion:
The highest viral load of SARS-CoV-2 is in the nose and nasopharynx. It is often highest early in the illness, before the development of symptoms. Further, SARS-CoV-2 replicates and continues to shed in the nasopharynx long after the virus is no longer detectable in the lower respiratory tract. This places any physician performing examinations on, or procedures involving, the upper respiratory tract at risk for contracting COVID-19. New-onset hyposmia and dysgeusia are indicators for COVID-19 and should be included in screening protocols.
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