Pascal Frennet (Belgium)

Abstract of the speech: 

The pandemic we are currently experiencing has dramatic consequences. Millions of people are sick or dead, and many are thrown into precariousness and insecurity.

But, this very dark painting also calls for a share of light and hope.

COVID-19 has exposed the disturbances of smell that, before that, arguably received too little interest from the medical and scientific world.
The Global Consortium for Chemosensory Research (GCCR) was created last year and allows all taste and smell professionals to work together, with patient associations. This has already made it possible to carry out concrete projects. More doctors are now aware of this problem, of the consequences it generates, but also of the benefits of aromatherapy.
At the hospital, in ENT and aromatherapy practices, specialist consultations were put in place as the disease progressed.
Patient associations have worked hard to help as many people as possible by offering standard tests and protocols accessible online. Many informational webinars were also offered.

These standard protocols have helped a large number of patients and in particular allowed them to regain their sense of smell more quickly.
However, to best help these people, we believe that individualized support is fundamental. Especially when the disorder lasts beyond a month.

The question arises precisely for people who develop dysosmia such as parosmia or phantosmia. These forms of smell disorder require a personalized assessment and monitoring of the patient in terms of the progression of his disease, his psychological state but also in terms of his olfactory rehabilitation. In this conference, we will also explain to you how we assess the patient's condition and guide our choices, both in terms of scents and in terms of the techniques used. We will detail the flow of a consultation by taking some examples of practical cases.