Subjective Smell Assessment as An Office-based Rapid Procedure In COVID-19 Era.

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Infectious Diseases
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Smell dysfunction is increasingly recognized as a potential early symptom of COVID-19.
• Rapid screening methods are crucial for managing the pandemic.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the utility of subjective smell assessment as a predictor for COVID-19.
• To determine the prevalence of smell disorders among patients presenting with potential COVID-19 symptoms.

Main Methods:

• A subjective olfaction score using a paper-bar test was administered to 480 outpatients.
• Nasopharyngeal swabs were collected for real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing in patients reporting smell loss.

Main Results:

• 20.2% of patients (97/480) reported a recent smell disorder.
• Of those with smell loss, 90.7% (88/97) tested positive for COVID-19 via RT-PCR.
• Smell disorder was observed even in patients without other characteristic COVID-19 symptoms.

Conclusions:

• Subjective smell assessment is a rapid, office-based screening tool for COVID-19.
• Smell disorder can be an important early warning sign for COVID-19 infection.
• This method aids in identifying potential cases, especially when typical symptoms are absent.