Smell and taste changes are early indicators of the COVID-19 pandemic and political decision effectiveness

Denis Pierron; Veronica Pereda-Loth; Marylou Mantel; Maëlle Moranges; Emmanuelle Bignon; Omar Alva; Julie Kabous; Margit Heiske; Jody Pacalon; Renaud David; Caterina Dinnella; Sara Spinelli; Erminio Monteleone; Michael C. Farruggia; Keiland W. Cooper; Elizabeth A. Sell; Thierry Thomas-Danguin; Alyssa J. Bakke; Valentina Parma; John E. Hayes; Thierry Letellier; Camille Ferdenzi; Jérôme Golebiowski; Moustafa Bensafi

doi:10.1038/s41467-020-18963-y

Smell and taste changes are early indicators of the COVID-19 pandemic and political decision effectiveness

Denis Pierron, Veronica Pereda-Loth, Marylou Mantel, Maëlle Moranges, Emmanuelle Bignon, Omar Alva, Julie Kabous, Margit Heiske, Jody Pacalon, Renaud David, Caterina Dinnella, Sara Spinelli, Erminio Monteleone, Michael C. Farruggia, Keiland W. Cooper, Elizabeth A. Sell, Thierry Thomas-Danguin, Alyssa J. Bakke, Valentina Parma, John E. HayesThierry Letellier, Camille Ferdenzi, Jérôme Golebiowski, Moustafa Bensafi

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Abstract

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many governments have taken drastic measures to avoid an overflow of intensive care units. Accurate metrics of disease spread are critical for the reopening strategies. Here, we show that self-reports of smell/taste changes are more closely associated with hospital overload and are earlier markers of the spread of infection of SARS-CoV-2 than current governmental indicators. We also report a decrease in self-reports of new onset smell/taste changes as early as 5 days after lockdown enforcement. Cross-country comparisons demonstrate that countries that adopted the most stringent lockdown measures had faster declines in new reports of smell/taste changes following lockdown than a country that adopted less stringent lockdown measures. We propose that an increase in the incidence of sudden smell and taste change in the general population may be used as an indicator of COVID-19 spread in the population.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	5152
Journal	Nature communications
Volume	11
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-18963-y
State	Published - Dec 1 2020

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

General Chemistry
General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
General Physics and Astronomy

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10.1038/s41467-020-18963-y

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Pierron, D., Pereda-Loth, V., Mantel, M., Moranges, M., Bignon, E., Alva, O., Kabous, J., Heiske, M., Pacalon, J., David, R., Dinnella, C., Spinelli, S., Monteleone, E., Farruggia, M. C., Cooper, K. W., Sell, E. A., Thomas-Danguin, T., Bakke, A. J., Parma, V., ... Bensafi, M. (2020). Smell and taste changes are early indicators of the COVID-19 pandemic and political decision effectiveness. Nature communications, 11(1), Article 5152. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-18963-y

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title = "Smell and taste changes are early indicators of the COVID-19 pandemic and political decision effectiveness",

abstract = "In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many governments have taken drastic measures to avoid an overflow of intensive care units. Accurate metrics of disease spread are critical for the reopening strategies. Here, we show that self-reports of smell/taste changes are more closely associated with hospital overload and are earlier markers of the spread of infection of SARS-CoV-2 than current governmental indicators. We also report a decrease in self-reports of new onset smell/taste changes as early as 5 days after lockdown enforcement. Cross-country comparisons demonstrate that countries that adopted the most stringent lockdown measures had faster declines in new reports of smell/taste changes following lockdown than a country that adopted less stringent lockdown measures. We propose that an increase in the incidence of sudden smell and taste change in the general population may be used as an indicator of COVID-19 spread in the population.",

author = "Denis Pierron and Veronica Pereda-Loth and Marylou Mantel and Ma{\"e}lle Moranges and Emmanuelle Bignon and Omar Alva and Julie Kabous and Margit Heiske and Jody Pacalon and Renaud David and Caterina Dinnella and Sara Spinelli and Erminio Monteleone and Farruggia, {Michael C.} and Cooper, {Keiland W.} and Sell, {Elizabeth A.} and Thierry Thomas-Danguin and Bakke, {Alyssa J.} and Valentina Parma and Hayes, {John E.} and Thierry Letellier and Camille Ferdenzi and J{\'e}r{\^o}me Golebiowski and Moustafa Bensafi",

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doi = "10.1038/s41467-020-18963-y",

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Pierron, D, Pereda-Loth, V, Mantel, M, Moranges, M, Bignon, E, Alva, O, Kabous, J, Heiske, M, Pacalon, J, David, R, Dinnella, C, Spinelli, S, Monteleone, E, Farruggia, MC, Cooper, KW, Sell, EA, Thomas-Danguin, T, Bakke, AJ, Parma, V, Hayes, JE, Letellier, T, Ferdenzi, C, Golebiowski, J & Bensafi, M 2020, 'Smell and taste changes are early indicators of the COVID-19 pandemic and political decision effectiveness', Nature communications, vol. 11, no. 1, 5152. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-18963-y

TY - JOUR

T1 - Smell and taste changes are early indicators of the COVID-19 pandemic and political decision effectiveness

AU - Pierron, Denis

AU - Pereda-Loth, Veronica

AU - Mantel, Marylou

AU - Moranges, Maëlle

AU - Bignon, Emmanuelle

AU - Alva, Omar

AU - Kabous, Julie

AU - Heiske, Margit

AU - Pacalon, Jody

AU - David, Renaud

AU - Dinnella, Caterina

AU - Spinelli, Sara

AU - Monteleone, Erminio

AU - Farruggia, Michael C.

AU - Cooper, Keiland W.

AU - Sell, Elizabeth A.

AU - Thomas-Danguin, Thierry

AU - Bakke, Alyssa J.

AU - Parma, Valentina

AU - Hayes, John E.

AU - Letellier, Thierry

AU - Ferdenzi, Camille

AU - Golebiowski, Jérôme

AU - Bensafi, Moustafa

PY - 2020/12/1

Y1 - 2020/12/1

N2 - In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many governments have taken drastic measures to avoid an overflow of intensive care units. Accurate metrics of disease spread are critical for the reopening strategies. Here, we show that self-reports of smell/taste changes are more closely associated with hospital overload and are earlier markers of the spread of infection of SARS-CoV-2 than current governmental indicators. We also report a decrease in self-reports of new onset smell/taste changes as early as 5 days after lockdown enforcement. Cross-country comparisons demonstrate that countries that adopted the most stringent lockdown measures had faster declines in new reports of smell/taste changes following lockdown than a country that adopted less stringent lockdown measures. We propose that an increase in the incidence of sudden smell and taste change in the general population may be used as an indicator of COVID-19 spread in the population.

AB - In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many governments have taken drastic measures to avoid an overflow of intensive care units. Accurate metrics of disease spread are critical for the reopening strategies. Here, we show that self-reports of smell/taste changes are more closely associated with hospital overload and are earlier markers of the spread of infection of SARS-CoV-2 than current governmental indicators. We also report a decrease in self-reports of new onset smell/taste changes as early as 5 days after lockdown enforcement. Cross-country comparisons demonstrate that countries that adopted the most stringent lockdown measures had faster declines in new reports of smell/taste changes following lockdown than a country that adopted less stringent lockdown measures. We propose that an increase in the incidence of sudden smell and taste change in the general population may be used as an indicator of COVID-19 spread in the population.

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SN - 2041-1723

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JO - Nature communications

JF - Nature communications

IS - 1

M1 - 5152

ER -

Smell and taste changes are early indicators of the COVID-19 pandemic and political decision effectiveness

Abstract

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

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