translated from Spanish: Coronavirus: In La Plata, smell tests apply to motorists

The Municipality of La Plata implemented this Friday in the vehicular control operations a test of smell, in which motorists will have to differentiate different odors because one of the main symptoms of coronavirus in the loss of that sense.

Individuals under control should smell in cartons or bottles different fragrances. As Enrique Rifourcart, Secretary of Health platense, explained, is a “fast and innovative procedure used in other parts of the world”. He added that “if people have any alterations in their sense of smell, they are given a beard, controlled by temperature, and asked to comply with quarantine. At the same time, a phone check is done every 6 hours to see what new symptomatology has to see how to follow the treatment.”

This modality of controls is carried out to detect cases that do not have symptoms and thus prevent the virus from being further transmitted through those who do not have the typical symptomatology of an infected. According to an international study, at least 60 percent of the infected completely lose their sense of smell. Roberto Di Grazia, local secretary of Citizen Control, commented that “operatives are deployed in a surprising manner in areas of high vehicular concentration and will also establish multiple posts to carry out the tests”. In this note:

Original source in Spanish