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A 12-week trial will examine whether nasal drops can help those who have lost their sense of smell after contracting COVID-19.
The “Apollo trial” will treat people who have undergone loss of sense of smell or altered sense of smell due to coronavirus using vitamin A nasal drops.
The University of East Anglia (UEA) said German research had shown the vitamin’s potential benefits, and his team “will explore how this treatment works to help repair nasal tissue damaged by viruses.”
They hope the trial “may one day help improve the lives of millions of people around the world who suffer from loss of smell, by restoring their fifth sense.”
It comes after an international group of experts advised against the use of steroids to treat loss of smell, suggesting “smell training” instead.
One of the experts, Professor Carl Philpott of the Norwich Medical School at UEA, said there was “very little evidence” that steroids would help with odor loss.
Instead, they have “potential side effects, including water retention, high blood pressure, and problems with mood and behavioral swings,” he said.
Scientists have recommended sniffing at least four different smells, twice a day, for several months.
Professor Philpott said the method “aims to help recovery based on neuroplasticity – the brain’s ability to reorganize itself to compensate for a change or injury.”
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Those interested in participating in the University Study on Vitamin A are encouraged to ask their GP to visit the Smell and Taste Clinic at James Paget Hospital in Norfolk’s Great Yarmouth.
The study, which is funded by the National Institute for Health Research, will begin recruiting participants in December.
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