COVID 19 is a virutic disease that took world by suprise. But as we learn it, we get better at fighting it. At first a lot of unknown hit the medical world. They were myths at first but with research we learn the ins and outs of virus. One of the more mythical myths about the virus is the loss of smell. Its statisticly proven that COVID 19 cause smell alteration [1] We now know that the support cells that were responsible for supporting olfactory neurons (the smell detector neurons) were damaged so the smell sensation is gone.[2][3]
So simply if we detect the loss of smell we kind a detect presence of virus in %49.6 of cases. [4] It should be cheap easy to make and require as little as possible. So I came up with a idea of just a dark cloth with that do not allow light to transfer so that patient can not see the test but allow smell to transfer.
If the patient breath from the noise and can not detect the change of smell there is a possibility that the patient has COVID 19. In experiment we use a t shirt q-tips and lemon cologne.
The method require a substance with smell and a light cloth that do not allow light to pass. It require no high tech, no fabrication and can be applied with little training by anyone.
Resources:
[1] Spinato G, Fabbris C, Polesel J, et al. Alterations in Smell or Taste in Mildly Symptomatic Outpatients With SARS-CoV-2 Infection. JAMA. 2020;323(20):2089–2090. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2020.6771
[2] COVID-19 Can Cause Loss of Smell And Scientiest Finally Discovered Why https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-worked-out-how-covid-19-disrupts-some-people-s-smell
[3] Lost Smell and Taste Hint COVID-19 Can Target the Nervous System
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2765183
[4] Lehrich, B. M., Goshtasbi, K., Raad, R. A., Ganti, A., Papagiannopoulos, P., Tajudeen, B. A., & Kuan, E. C. (2020). Aggregate Prevalence of Chemosensory and Sinonasal Dysfunction in SARS-CoV-2 and Related Coronaviruses.
Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery (1), 156–161. https://doi.org/10.1177/0194599820929278
Cover Picture : Olfactory neuron [pink] with protruding smell receptors. Steve Gschmeissner/Getty Images
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