Researchers at the Kolling Institute and the Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney are investigating the link between loss of smell and the coronavirus in the hopes of developing a rapid, early warning screening test.
Wine connoisseur James Tinslay was most perturbed when he took a sip of his Barbera d'Alba to find it had gone off. "She was so sick. Once you are on oxygen and have catheters in your arm your sense of smell is the least of your priorities," Mr Tinslay said."It's a good thing it did," he said as he prepared for a blind wine tasting on Wednesday evening.
The researchers aim to determine whether the University of Pennsylvania smell test can be used to detect COVID-19 patients with a high sensitivity, and if it could be used as a cheap and easy rapid screening test in hospitals and aged care facilities.