A confectionary-based screening tool for assessing chemosensory loss in COVID 19 patients.

本紧急竞争修订版的目标是开发（目标1）和部署（目标2） 一种新的、客观的、心理物理的嗅觉和味觉筛查测试，用于检测COVID 19的发病 在高危人群中。作为对目前使用的温度筛选程序的补充， 预计该工具将促进对COVID发病的早期识别，从而获得更好的诊断 以及尽早实施预防社区传播的协议。我们的具体计划是 使用含有不同口味和口味的硬糖， 分发给大量的人口。在开发阶段（目标1），这种新的测试将 与NIH工具箱进行比较，以评估两种方法的可接受性和有效性。我们 预计硬糖评估将至少在检测化学感受性方面同样有效 损失，但受试者更容易接受。目标2将需要每天自我监测化学感觉 在高危人群中发挥作用，并通过安全的在线门户网站跟踪数据。的新奇 这种基于实验的测试是，它提供了标准的刺激，可以产生客观的 气味（香气和风味）和味道的定性和定量测量 （甜和酸）。此外，鼻前和鼻后的嗅觉功能都将受到影响。 独立评估。测试可以自我管理和熟悉的，愉快的性质， 刺激应促进高依从率，允许持续监测 长时间的此外，该测试快速且廉价。数据将被合并到一个 COVID 19的预测模型，并使用AOC的敏感性和特异性分析进行评估。 俄勒冈州立大学是一所领先的大型公立赠地大学，拥有不同的学生，教师， 和支持人员，包括所有医疗保健专业。这些特点，沿着 大学规定的定期PCR检测的学生和工作人员使其成为一个完美的网站，以执行 这项紧急研究。

The goals of this Emergency Competitive Revision are to develop (Aim 1) and deploy (Aim 2) a novel, objective, psychophysical smell and taste screening test to detect the onset of COVID 19 in at-risk populations. Complementary to the temperature screening procedures currently in use, this tool is predicted to promote early identification of COVID onset leading to better prognoses and the early implementation of protocols to prevent community spread. Our specific plan is to use a hard-candy containing different combinations of tastants and flavors that are easy to distribute to a large population. During the development phase (Aim 1), this novel test will be compared with the NIH toolbox to assess the acceptability and efficacy of the two methods. We expect that the hard-candy assessment will be at least as efficacious in detecting chemosensory loss but more acceptable to subjects. Aim 2 will entail daily self-monitoring of chemosensory function in at-risk populations with data tracked through a secure online portal. The novelty of this confectionary-based test is that it provides standard stimuli that can yield objective measures of both the qualitative and quantitative aspects of smell (aroma and flavor) and taste (sweet and sour). Moreover, both orthonasal and retronasal olfactory function will be independently assessed. The test can be self-administered and the familiar, pleasant nature of the stimuli should facilitate a high compliance rate, allowing for continuous monitoring over prolonged periods. Moreover, the test is rapid and inexpensive. Data will be incorporated into a predictive model for COVID 19 and assessed using AOC analyses of sensitivity and specificity. OSU is a leading large public land grant university with a varied population of students, faculty, and support staff that includes all health care specialties. These characteristics, along with the University-mandated regular PCR testing of students and staff makes it a perfect site to perform this urgent research.