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Not to be sniffed at: Agony of post-COVID-19 loss of smell

Virus Outbreak France Deadened Senses
Posted at 7:29 AM, Feb 23, 2021
and last updated 2021-02-23 09:29:34-05

NICE, France — A year into the coronavirus pandemic, doctors are striving to better understand and treat patients who lose their sense of smell.

Called anosmia, the condition is a common symptom of COVID-19.

It is non-lethal but terribly vexing for the small minority of long-term sufferers who many weeks after infection still cannot taste food or smell the things they love.

In the southern French city of Nice, COVID-19 olfactory disorders are being studied by medical researchers who were previously using scents in the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.

They have also used fragrances to treat post-traumatic stress in children after a terror attack.

They're now lending their expertise to help post-COVID-19 patients recover their sense of smell.