COVID
Orientation to diagnosis
In Europe, in mild to moderate forms of Covid-19 infection, a multicenter study identified 54% of patients with taste disturbances. (1)
The taste measurement in Covid patients would therefore allow:
○ Early identification of the first clinical signs of infection and referral for diagnosis
○ Accuracy of a taste disorder and referral to additional and more expensive tests to validate a COVID-19 diagnosis
○ Helps in the gradation of disease severity upon diagnosis.
Long COVID patient follow-up
20% of Covid-19 patients are affected by long COVID (a form of Covid with prolonged, fluctuating and multisystem symptoms). Among these patients, 30% present a taste loss. (2)
The taste measurement for long Covid patients would allow:
○ Patient follow-up
○ Monitoring the disease severity
○ Monitoring of disease progression and sensory symptoms according to taste and olfactory rehabilitation protocols.
1. Lechien J et al. Clinical and epidemiological characteristics of 1420 European patients with mild-to-moderate coronavirus disease 2019. The Association for the Publication of the Journal of Internal Medicine 2020; 288:335-44.
2. Salmon-Ceron D et al. Clinical, virological and imaging profile in patients with prolonged forms of COVID-19: A cross-sectional study. Journal of infection 2021;82:e1-4.