Virocule Inc. today announced that it has received authorization from Health Canada for the sale of its ANOSMICTM COVID-19 Smell Tester. ANOSMICTM is the first and only authorized Class 1 medical device that can screen subjects at home on regular basis to control the spread of coronavirus. Sudden loss or deterioration of smell is a common and early symptom of people suffering a COVID-19 infection. Recent studies indicate that over 80% of people have smell disturbances.

ANOSMICTM is a spray engineered from a combination of ingredients to produce a characteristic odor. The subject inhales and records the intensity of smell on regular basis. If there is sudden loss or deterioration of smell, one is advised to seek medical attention and obtain a confirmatory test (e.g. RT-PCR). Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Deven Sandhu, said “In clinical studies with 211 participants,  ANOSMICTM was shown to have a high accuracy of over 90% in screening for a COVID-19 infection (91% sensitivity and 97% specificity at a 95% confidence interval). Research by others has shown that smell loss is a much more specific indicator of a COVID-19 infection than elevated temperature/fever. The nasal passage is a principal gateway for the coronavirus to enter the body. That may be a reason why the loss of smell may be an early indicator of an infection.”

Globally the COVID-19 virus has infected over 67 million patients with mortality of over 1.5 million patients in 191 countries. Especially, the COVID-19 virus has infected over 425,000 and caused 12,787 Canadian deaths. Positivity rates and daily cases are surging daily to higher record levels. Currently, tests available for detecting the virus take too long to give results and are expensive (e.g. RT-PCR takes 2-4 days and costs over $200/test). Michael Bryant, the President, notes, “In the absence of a practical daily screening system, many businesses have had to shut down or operate with limited staff for fear of triggering “super spreader” events. Millions have lost their jobs and livelihood. With the holidays approaching, there is a serious concern that close family and friends may see increased infection rates if they socialize. ANOSMICTM is fast (<30 sec="" test="" cost-effective="" 0="" 35="" test="" accurate="">90%), non-invasive and easy-to-use regularly.”

ANOSMIC has also been adopted by ETIO Public Health Consultants in its screening protocol for use in conjunction with its CovidGuardTM service for businesses. Dr. Nitin Mohan, a partner, and noted epidemiologist said “…this test in combination with other screening tools will provide optimal screening coverage, allowing sectors of our societies to regain some level of pre-pandemic normalcy.

Taking into account the Swiss cheese model of multi-layered prevention in order to reduce virus transmission; the utilization of a rapid screening test is paramount in re-opening our societies in the safest and quickest way possible. As the pandemic continues to harm our economies and expose our most vulnerable communities to hardships that will result in downstream health consequences I feel that this test will provide governments, businesses, and individuals the ability to protect themselves, their communities and regain normalcy to their disrupted lives.”