Impact of olfactory dysfunction on quality of life in coronavirus disease 2019 patients: a systematic review

Abstract

Objective To outline the impact on quality of life in coronavirus disease 2019 patients with olfactory dysfunction. Methods Five databases were searched for articles referring to the impact on quality of life in coronavirus disease 2019 patients with olfactory dysfunction. The search was conducted for the period from November 2019 to April 2021. The search was conducted over one month (May 2021). Results Four studies that met the objective were included. Altogether, there were 1045 patients. Various questionnaires were used to assess quality of life. Overall, the quality of life deficit affected 67.7 per cent of patients. Quality of life domains investigated include overall quality of life (four studies), food and taste dysfunction (two studies), mental health (two studies), cognitive function (one study), functional outcome (one study) and safety domains (one study). Conclusion Quality of life deficit was reported to be 67.7 per cent among coronavirus disease 2019 patients with olfactory dysfunction. The high prevalence of persistent olfactory dysfunction prompts more serious research, as the long-standing consequences of olfactory dysfunction are detrimental.

Long‐term olfactory dysfunction in COVID‐19 patients: 18‐month follow‐up study

“…Few studies exist on the evolution and recovery of COVID‐19–related olfactory dysfunction (OD) in the long term. Due to the impact of OD on the quality of life of patients, 1 it is mandatory to better define its characteristics, clinical course, and recovery times to properly counsel patients during medical visits as well as to conceive new therapeutic strategies to address the problem. The aim of this study was to describe the recovery pattern of OD in a cohort of COVID‐19 patients with an 18‐month follow‐up and to analyze the possible variables associated with spontaneous early or late recovery.…”

The Effects of Persistent Olfactory and Gustatory Dysfunctions on Quality of Life in Long-COVID-19 Patients

“…A recent review of the literature [28] looking for studies on the impact of CD on QoL in COVID-19 found only four studies published so far [29][30][31][32]. These studies share some limitations which call into question the robustness of the conclusions made.…”

Revealing the mystery of persistent smell loss in long COVID patients

“…At least 40% of COVID-19 patients reported anosmia as an early sign of the disease, and nearly 70% of patients with OD claimed a reduced quality of life due to smell loss [13,22]. More than 10% of the infected with COVID-19 may suffer prolonged anosmia, often more than one year from the onset of the disease [17,23].…”