Project description:ObjectiveTo investigate olfactory and gustatory dysfunction in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Wuhan using a telephone interview.MethodsThis retrospective telephone survey investigated 196 consecutive patients with COVID-19 at 3 months after discharge from two hospitals in Wuhan, China. The characteristics of the patient's disease course and time to recovery from olfactory and/or gustatory dysfunction (OD and/or GD) were collected by telephone interview. Demographic data were collected from the patient medical records.ResultsA total of 196 patients with COVID-19 completed the study. The most prevalent general symptoms were fever, cough, and fatigue. Overall, 19.9% of the patients reported OD and/or GD. In 87.2% of these cases, OD or GD appeared after the general symptoms. The time to recovery from OD and/or GD was more than 4 weeks in 51.4% of the patients. Patients with COVID-19 and OD and/or GD had significantly higher rates of cardiovascular disease than patients without OD and/or GD (p = 0.002).ConclusionsRecovery from chemosensory dysfunction (OD and/or GD) was slow, with over half of the patients taking more than 4 weeks to recover. Cardiovascular disease might be related to the development of olfactory or taste disorders in patients with COVID-19.
Project description:BackgroundThe unexpected outbreak of the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) caused more than 49 million cases and an estimated 2,000,000 associated deaths worldwide. In Germany, there are currently more than 2,000,000 laboratory-confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases including 51,800 deaths. However, regional differences also became apparent and with the second wave of infections, the detailed characterization of COVID-19 patients is crucial to early diagnosis and disruption of chains of infections.MethodsHanding out detailed questionnaires to all individuals tested for COVID-19, we evaluated the clinical characteristics of negative and positive tested individuals. Expression of symptoms, symptom duration and association between predictor variables (i.e. age, gender) and a binary outcome (olfactory and gustatory dysfunction) were assessed.ResultsOverall, the most common symptoms among individuals who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 were fatigue, headache, and cough. Olfactory and gustatory dysfunction were also reported by many SARS-CoV-2 negative individuals, more than 20% of SARS-CoV-2 negative tested individuals in our study reported olfactory and gustatory dysfunction. Independent of SARS-CoV-2 status, more females displayed symptoms of gustatory (29.8%, p = 0.0041) and olfactory dysfunction (22.9%, p = 0.0174) compared to men.ConclusionsBringing early SARS-CoV-2 tests to the populations at risk must be a main focus for the upcoming months. The reliability of olfactory and gustatory dysfunction in COVID-19 negative tested individuals requires deeper investigation in the future.
Project description:PURPOSE:At the time of writing, there is a pandemic affecting virtually every country on Earth. There is considerable discussion amongst clinicians as well as lay people about anosmia and ageusia in COVID-19 sufferers. We aimed to report the results from comprehensive olfactory and gustatory testing in a series of hospital in-patients. METHODS:The prospective study evaluated 81 individuals with a COVID-19 infection, as confirmed by 2019 n-cov Real-Time PCR laboratory testing. The control group consisted of forty individuals with COVID-19 negative. Olfactory and gustatory testings were carried out by an examiner utilizing stringent safety standards and wearing full personal protective equipment. The results obtained in the case group were then compared with those obtained for the controls. RESULTS:In the case group, 41(50.6%) of patients were male and 40 (49.4%) were female, mean age of 54.16?±?16.98 years (18-95). In the control group, 21 (52.5%) of subjects were male and 19 (47.5%) were female, and mean age was 55?±?15.39 years (18-90). Fifty (61.7%) COVID-19-positive patients had complaints related to olfaction. The distribution of olfactory symptoms in the case group differed at the level of statistical significance from the control group (p?<?0.001). Turning to gustatory abnormalities, within the case group, 22 individuals (27.2%) had taste malfunction. A statistically significant difference was found in the distribution of gustatory abnormalities between cases and controls (p?<?0.001). CONCLUSIONS:Olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions are strongly associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Hyposmia with or without hypogeusia is potentially a reliable indicator of latent COVID-19.
Project description:BackgroundThe novel Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19) continues to have profound effect on global health. Our aim was to evaluate the prevalence and characterize specific symptoms associated with COVID-19.MethodsThis retrospective study included 326 patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection evaluated at the Emergency Department of the Umberto I Polyclinic Hospital, Rome, Italy between March 6th and April 30th, 2020. In order to assess xerostomia, olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions secondary to COVID-19, a telephone-based a modified survey obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2013-2014 for taste and smell disorders and the Fox Questionnaire for dry mouth were administered to 111 patients (34%) after discharge between June 4th and June 12th.ResultsTaste dysfunction was the most common reported symptom (59.5%; n = 66), followed by xerostomia (45.9%; n = 51) and olfactory dysfunctions (41.4%; n = 46). The most severe symptom was olfactory dysfunction with a median severity score of 8.5 (range: 5-10). Overall 74.5% (n = 38) of patients with xerostomia, 78.8% (n = 52) of patients with gustatory dysfunctions and 71.1% (n = 33) of patients with olfactory dysfunctions reported that all symptoms appeared before COVID-19 diagnosis. Overall, the majority of patients reported one symptom only (45.9%, n = 51), 37 (33.3%) reported the association of two symptoms, and 23 (20.7%) patients reported the association of three symptoms at the same time.ConclusionXerostomia, gustatory and olfactory dysfunctions may present as a prodromal or as the sole manifestation of COVID-19. Awareness is fundamental to identify COVID-19 patients at an early stage of the disease and limit the spread of the virus.
Project description:BackgroundEvidence regarding prevalence of COVID-19 related Olfactory dysfunction (OD) among ambulatory patients is highly variable due to heterogeneity in study population and measurement methods. Relatively few studies have longitudinally investigated OD in ambulatory patients with objective methods.MethodsWe performed a longitudinal study to investigate OD among COVID-19 ambulatory patients compared to symptomatic controls who test negative. Out of 81 patients enrolled, 45 COVID-19 positive patients and an age- and sex-matched symptomatic control group completed the BSIT and a questionnaire about smell, taste and nasal symptoms. These were repeated at 1 month for all COVID-19 positive patients, and again at 3 months for those who exhibited persistent OD. Analysis was performed by mixed-effects linear and logistic regression.Results46.7% of COVID-19 patients compared to 3.8% of symptomatic controls exhibited OD at 1-week post diagnosis (p<0.001). At 1 month, 16.7%, (6 of 36), of COVID-19 patients had persistent OD. Mean improvement in BSIT score in COVID-19 patients between 1-week BSIT and 1 month follow-up was 2.0 (95% CI 1.00 - 3.00, p<0.001). OD did not correlate with nasal congestion (r= -0.25, 95% CI, -0.52 to 0.06, p=0.12).ConclusionsAmbulatory COVID-19 patients exhibited OD significantly more frequently than symptomatic controls. Most patients regained normal olfaction by 1 month. The BSIT is a simple validated and objective test to investigate the prevalence of OD in ambulatory patients. OD did not correlate with nasal congestion which suggests a congestion-independent mechanism of OD.
Project description:The objective of this study was to investigate the status of COVID-19 patients with sudden anosmia and dysgeusia using an olfactory dysfunction questionnaire highlighting recovery times. This prospective study included 75 patients who completed a patient-reported outcome questionnaire. Among these, 46 patients completed an olfactory evaluation based on the duration of anosmia and dysgeusia. The olfactory evaluation revealed that 24% (N?=?18) of patients had mild hyposmia, 13% (N?=?10) had moderate hyposmia, 30% (N?=?23) had severe hyposmia, 32% (N?=?24) had anosmia, and 100% had dysgeusia (N?=?75). The viral load significantly decreased throughout the 17?days following the onset of the olfactory disorder. The purpose of this study was to understand whether patients with COVID-19 can recover olfactory and gustatory function, in contrast to patients with other rhinoviruses and inflammatory diseases such as rhinosinusitis chronic and rhinosinusitis with polyps. These preliminary clinical findings indicate that the relatively rapid recovery of olfactory and gustative function can mean a resolution of viral infection in most patients. The present study suggests that coronavirus can induce olfactory dysfunction but not permanent damage. Olfactory and gustatory functional impairment has been recognized as a hallmark of COVID-19 and may be an important predictor of clinical outcome. Our study supports the need to add anosmia and dysgeusia to the list of symptoms used in screening tools for possible COVID-19 infection.
Project description:PurposeThe ongoing coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic is spreading at an alarming rate across the globe. Sudden onset loss of smell and/or taste has been increasingly reported as a symptom of COVID-19. However, prevalence of these symptoms, and its severity varies widely between studies, with little data on its duration and recovery rate. Since this significantly impacts the quality of life of patients, there is a need for a study to provide insight into the loss of smell or taste in terms of its correlation with other upper respiratory tract symptoms, natural history and resolution rates.MethodsThis cross-sectional study included 718 mild to moderately symptomatic adult patients (≥ 18 years), admitted consecutively to Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS), Odisha, India between June 25 and July 24, 2020, who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 by polymerase chain reaction on nasopharyngeal and throat swabs. Prevalence, severity, duration and factors associated with altered smell or taste sensation, and their follow-up were recorded.ResultsOf the 718 patients included in the study at baseline [563 (78%) men; median age 34 years], 101 (14%) patients experienced either altered smell or taste, with 52 (7%) experiencing both altered smell and taste. Seventy-seven (10.7%) patients had altered smell and 76 patients had altered taste (10.5%). Of these, 71 (92%) and 73 (96%) regained their sense of smell and taste, respectively, by 14 days after their swab tested positive. Presence of fever (OR = 5.4, 95% CI = 2.7-10.6, p < 0.001), cough (OR = 2.3, 95% CI = 1.2-4.2, p = 0.009) and nasal obstruction (OR = 3.1, 95% CI = 1.4-6.7, p = 0.006) were independently associated with increased likelihood of experiencing both altered taste and smell in multivariable models.ConclusionThe prevalence of altered smell and taste in Indians was much lower compared to Europeans and similar to East Asians. Majority regained these senses by 2 weeks. Identification of these symptoms can help in early detection of the disease in suspected individuals.
Project description:PurposeThe prevalence of sensory disorders (smell and/or taste) in affected patients has shown a high variability of 5% to 98% during the COVID-19 outbreak, depending on the methodology, country, and study. Loss of smell and taste occurring in COVID-19 cases are now recognized by the international scientific community as being among the main symptoms of the disease. This study investigates loss of smell and taste in outpatients and hospitalized patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 infection.MethodsEnrolled in the study were patients with a positive PCR test for COVID-19. Excluded were patients with chronic rhinosinusitis, nasal polyposis, common cold, influenza, and olfactory/gustatory dysfunction predating the pandemic. Patients were asked about changes in their sense of smell and taste by structured questionnaire. Their status was classified according to severity of the symptoms.ResultsA total of 217 patients were included in the study, of whom 129 received outpatient treatment, whereas 88 were hospitalized; mean age was 41.74 years (range18-76), 59.4% were male. At evaluation for olfactory dysfunction, 53.9% of the patients were found to be normal, whereas 33.2% were anosmic. No gustatory dysfunction was found in 49.8% of patients, whereas in those with loss of taste, the most commonly recorded symptom was ageusia. Anosmia was significantly more common in outpatients (P = 0.038). Presentation of chemosensorial symptoms in women was higher than in men (P = 0.009). No correlation was found between olfactory and gustatory dysfunction and age (P = 0.178).ConclusionsAbout one-half of our patients presented olfactory and/or gustatory deficits, and loss of smell was more common in mild cases. It should be considered; a sudden, severe, and isolated loss of smell and/or taste may also be present in COVID-19 patients who are otherwise asymptomatic. We suggest that identification of persons with these signs and early isolation could prevent spread of the disease in the community.