Paris (AFP)

Loss of smell and / or taste are common symptoms in people with Covid-19 in Europe, according to a study coordinated by two ENT doctors attached to the University of Mons (Belgium).

This study carried out on 417 patients infected (263 women and 154 men) with the new coronavirus, but in a "non-severe" manner, shows that 86% have problems with smell (most no longer feeling anything) and that 88 % have taste disturbances.

Smell disturbances usually occur at the same time as general symptoms (cough, muscle pain, loss of appetite, fever) and ENT symptoms (facial pain, stuffy nose) of the disease.

But sometimes the loss of smell or taste comes after these other symptoms (in 23% of cases) or before (in 12% of cases).

Without apparent explanation, women are more often prone to anosmia (loss of smell) than men.

The study indicates that almost half of the subjects (44%) recover their sense of smell within a fairly short period of 15 days.

"The other patients must keep a good hope" of recovering their sense of smell "within 12 months", nervous recovery being "a slow process", according to the press release published by the University of Mons (Umons).

The recovery of taste is a more "random" process that can be done before, at the same time or after the recovery of smell.

The two specialists who coordinated the study, Jérôme Lechien and Sven Saussez recommend considering the appearance of anosmia and dysgeusia (partial or total loss of taste) in patients with no ENT history as "a specific symptom of infection with Covid-19 ".

As a precaution, these people "should be considered as potentially infected with Covid-19 and therefore isolated for a minimum of 7 days" even if they do not develop any of the other symptoms characteristic of the disease.

A new survey has been launched by these specialists to verify that people with isolated anosmia / dysgeusia have been affected by the virus and to better understand the mechanisms of loss of taste and odors in this infection.

In Paris, Dr Alain Corré, ENT at the Rothschild Hospital-Foundation also recommends considering anosmic people as carriers of SARS-CoV-2, after having observed with a colleague that 90% of these patients were positive for the Covid test -19.

The Umons public inquiry is available through this link:

© 2020 AFP