Is the Total Loss of Smell a Key Indicator of the Severity of COVID-19? Probably

[sharoncrayn]

Saturday PM, March 21, 2020

Is the Total Loss of Smell a Key Indicator of the Severity of COVID-19? Probably.

Spinning off comments by UK’s ENT president...and the fact that TORY MP Nadine Dorries has revealed she has completely lost her senses of taste and smell after contracting COVID-19.

(This post is for information purposes only. See or call your physician.)

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Anyone familiar with PD research on the loss of smell (Haehner, et al, 2011) or the work of Pinto and McClintock (2014) understands that the loss of smell accompanies the progression of PD and from Pinto/McClintock’s work it accompanies the progression of mortality in certain cases by a factor of three (3).

Pinto/McClintock’s work should not be dismissed because they did not deal with PD. They tested more than 3,000 people between the ages of 57 and 85, which is also the primary "age" wheel house for PD, particularly males.

They found (relating to “anosmia”):

1) A TOTAL loss of smell resulted in 3x times greater mortality regardless of co-factor(s) like diabetes or cardio vascular disease.

2) They didn’t know why this increase in mortality occurred, but the olfactory nerve, the sole conduit from a person's nose to their brain, also happens to be the only cranial nerve that is directly exposed to the environment, and hence a primary conduit for COVID-19. This my "factual opinion".

I am busy closing down my clinical trials, so I have no time to respond to comments or questions.

Keep safe.

Sharon

[kaypeeoh]

I think it's a bit of a 'stretch' to connect covid-19 to anosmia. The build-up of mucous with any respiratory condition could lead to temporary anosmia. It's not uncommon to have anosmia with PD however.

[Seacrab in reply to kaypeeoh]

Agreed ..., my husband inexplicably lost his sense of smell 20 years before diagnosis tooth PD.

[WinnieThePoo in reply to Seacrab]

There is growing credible evidence of anosmia being a symptom, and potentially valuable early diagnostic indicator of covid19 infection. As Sharon indicates the issue is sudden acute anosmia not chronic. However I think the primary use of this is the test and track aspect as an indicator to self isolate. In France and the UK atm, and I imagine most of the USA and Canada they will not test unless you are presenting fever ir cough.

[parkie13 in reply to WinnieThePoo]

FDA has still not approved the 15 minute test. Other countries are using it, it's a very reliable test. People here are still not getting tested. Time is being wasted, more and more cases are popping up. We need to know who has it and who does not.

[Fenian5 in reply to Seacrab]

I, too, lost my sense of smell 20 yrs before PD diagnosis. They did not know, at that time, that it could be a biomarker for PD.

[FMundo]

Sharon, when you are suffciently ensconsed in dry dock (with your clinical trials) and have some time to ponder . . . I have an interesting question to ask you that would be of significant interest to a lot of HU readers.

[sharoncrayn in reply to FMundo]

It is Sunday so I have some free time. This coming week, no way.

If you send it to me today, I will do my best. It may not be politically correct, which I am sure you understand.

Sharon

[alexask]

Given this information, I still think that even if the only effect of mannitol for of sufferers is to recover your sense of smell, it will still be beneficial. I doubt it will do much for the sense of smell for covid19 sufferers, but it would be interesting to try.

[alexask in reply to alexask]

that should of read PD sufferers