Exploring the Impact of COVID-19-Related Smell Disorders

Oct 27, 2020·

Maëlle Moranges

· 2 min read

Role: data analysis and science communication

Collaborators: This project was conducted within the NEUROPOP team at CRNL.

Scientific Objectives

The loss of smell due to COVID-19 was a key symptom, but its broader consequences remained understudied. This research aimed to:

Analyze the consequences of smell loss on daily life and well-being.
Determine symptom onset sequences and their relationship to recovery duration.
Investigate the long-term effects of olfactory dysfunction on eating behavior and safety.

Research on the loss of smell due to COVID-19 presented several challenges:

Urgency of the pandemic : The need for rapid data collection and analysis required efficient coordination and real-time collaboration among international researchers.
Variability in self-reported data : Differences in symptom descriptions across individuals and languages made standardization a key challenge.
Multidisciplinary approach : Combining expertise from neuroscience, epidemiology, and data science was essential but required integrating diverse methodologies and perspectives.

Our research introduced several novel approaches to studying COVID-19-related smell disorders:

Impact on quality of life : The study revealed gender and age-related disparities in prolonged anosmia recovery, linking it to changes in eating habits and potential safety concerns.
Data-driven symptom progression analysis : By leveraging sequence mining techniques, we identified patterns in symptom onset and recovery, providing insights for targeted medical interventions.

📄 Camille Ferdenzi, Christophe Bousquet, Pierre-Emmanuel Aguera, Morgane Dantec, Christelle Daudé, Lesly Fornoni, Arnaud Fournel, Aurélien Kassan, Marylou Mantel, Maëlle Moranges, et al (2021). Recovery from COVID-19-related olfactory disorders and quality of life: insights from an observational online study. Chemical Senses.

🎥 Animated Video Series, published on the GDRO3 website

Last updated on Oct 27, 2020