hope for a cure for loss of smell

No longer smelling the scent of flowers, no longer perceiving the good smells of cooking. In Jurbise, Belgium, Francine is one of those people who did not regain their sense of smell after having Covid-19. A handicap that has lasted for three years. “The material makes me say: ‘That’s pleasant in the mouth, it’s soft or it’s crunchy’. That compensates a little”, says Francine Prunier. Thanks to a doctor, everything could change: this surgeon is leading a European trial on a promising new treatment.

A treatment not yet available in France

“Whether it’s a loss of smell or parosmia, we can offer them PRP”, says Jérôme Lechien, ENT surgeon. Understand platelet-rich plasma. The patient’s blood is taken and then centrifuged to keep only the platelets, as they allow the regeneration of damaged cells. The yellow liquid, PRP, is then injected into the patient’s nose. Of 450 patients, 81% observed an improvement in their sense of smell after three weeks to six months. Only two other surgeons in Europe administer this treatment, which is not yet available in France.