Is there a need for a smell test in a covid check

Performing an olfactory ability test is seen as a more effective way of screening or screening early symptoms of COVID-19 compared to body temperature testing. Almost all public places screen or screening by measuring the body temperature of visitors with thermogun or thermal scanner . Yet there is little scientific evidence that measuring body temperature can identify COVID-19.

Why is a smelling test better than checking body temperature as a screening tool?

Test your olfactory ability to check for early symptoms of COVID-19

Public places such as offices, shopping centers and restaurants are starting to reopen. As a first precaution, everyone who enters is required to wear a mask and keep a distance. In addition, at the entrance, the body temperature will be checked, almost all of which use non-contact thermometers such as thermogun or thermal scanner .

Unfortunately, temperature checks can be very ineffective in indicating whether a person is infected with COVID-19 or not. The reason is that the results of the temperature measurement and the non-contact thermometer are not reliable because they only measure the temperature of the skin.

In addition, many cases of people without symptoms (OTG) or fever are not among the initial symptoms. On the other hand, a person with a fever does not necessarily have COVID-19.

Data from the application ZOE COVID Symptom Study published in the journal Nature show that more than half of the people (57%) who test positive for COVID-19 never develop a fever. Meanwhile, those with high temperatures only experienced fever for an average of two days. It's no surprise that temperature checks at airports or other public spaces have failed to detect the vast majority of infected people.

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What are the most typical symptoms of COVID-1 9?

Based on data from 4 million people, loss of the ability to smell (anosmia) is the main symptom of COVID-19 being experienced.

British epidemiologist Tim Spector highlighted the data compiled from the ZOE application they developed. About 65% of adults who test positive for COVID-19 report a loss of smell. 16% of those who tested positive for COVID-19 said that loss of smell was the only symptom they felt.

During a COVID-19 infection, loss of smell lasts about seven days and is often longer. Meanwhile, fever symptoms only last for three days for most people.

Study conducted University College London said that the loss of smell is a strong sign that someone is infected with COVID-19. In most cases these symptoms occur without other symptoms such as coughing or fever.

Overall, the data suggest that a sudden loss of the sense of smell is a more common early symptom of COVID-19 than fever across all age groups. This fact is what makes the COVID-19 olfactory test called a much better predictor.

Lack of olfactory testing in screening for COVID-19 patients

Based on this fact, many have proposed to carry out an extensive olfactory test. While it may seem like a good idea in theory, it has its drawbacks.

Spector's team says the symptoms of this anosmia can last longer than the infection itself. A person may still experience loss of smell even though the virus that causes COVID-19 that he or she experiences has no potential to transmit.

Second, reduced ability to smell is quite common. Nearly 20% of adults experience a loss of smell, this figure increases to 80% for those over 75 years of age.

Many also lose their sense of smell when they have nasal congestion caused by the common cold or sinusitis. Although nasal congestion is not considered a symptom of COVID-19.

This means that although olfactory tests can identify people with COVID-19, the causes of loss of smell also vary widely.