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A recent study found that loss of sense of smell from 4 smells may indicate an infection with the emerging corona virus that causes Covid-19 disease, we learn about these smells here and what the researchers recommended.
The study was conducted by a research team that included Janine Macaronides and Jessica Mock, and included 590 participants through an online platform, and answered questions about loss of smell and taste and other symptoms associated with Covid-19. , and was published in the journal PLOS Medicine.
In general, the researchers found that people who notice a loss in their ability to smell smells:Garlic, onion, coffee and perfume. They should isolate themselves and request a coronavirus test.
The researchers said their study sought to determine the rate of “seroprevalence” of antibodies to the emerging corona virus in people who reported severe loss of smell and / or taste, and to evaluate whether loss of smell or loss of sense of smell taste is an indication of Covid infection. -19.
The presence of antibodies to the Corona virus means that the person has the disease and this test is important; Because a person can get sick without showing symptoms.
Antibodies
The researchers found that 77.6% of the total 567 participants with loss of smell and / or loss of taste had antibodies against the emerging corona virus, and 39.8% of them did not have a cough or fever.
And a positive serological test for the emerging coronavirus was 3 times more likely in participants with loss of smell compared to those who lost their sense of taste.
The researchers’ findings indicate that loss of smell is a “very specific symptom of Covid-19 disease” (symptom of COVID-19) and should generally be considered as a guide for isolation, examination and treatment of the disease. condition.
“Our findings indicate that one of the main public health messages is that people who notice a loss in their ability to smell everyday household aromas such as garlic, onion, coffee, and perfumes, should isolate themselves and request a test for PCR, “the researchers said.
Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test
And the “polymerase chain reaction-PCR” test. It is one of the most common tests currently used for Corona, and it is the test primarily approved by the World Health Organization.
This test measures the “polymetral chain reaction” in the human body and has a long history of detecting various viruses, whether related to influenza, acquired human immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) or enteroviruses, and viruses associated with the system. respiratory, including Corona Platoon virus.
In this test, saliva samples are taken from the throat, or a sample from a lung abscess, and the second step is to determine if the extracted sample contains the genetic code of “SARS-Covid-2” (the genome of the virus), and before that all genetic information is isolated. In the sample, to obtain a pure substance that is mixed with the emerging coronavirus itself.
Through a chemical process it is monitored whether the virus genome is present in the sample taken or not, and if it is discovered, this means that the person is infected with the emerging coronavirus.
But if the genetic code of the virus is not found, this does not mean that a person is not infected, it is very likely that the virus is present in the body and does not reach the sample that was extracted.
Source : German + Al Jazeera + Deutsche Welle + websites
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