Olfactory and Gustatory Alterations in Covid-19 Patients: A Tertiary Care Covid-19 Centre Inpatient Experience

Abstract

Corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has emerged as a deadly pandemic throughout the world. Many case series from all over the globe and in India are detecting a very high frequency of chemo sensitive disorders in COVID-19. There is increasing evidence that olfactory and gustatory dysfunction can be present in COVID-19 patients. Olfactory and gustatory function was subjectively tested in 300 COVID-19 patients admitted at our hospital, Government Medical College, Jammu first through telephonic interviews followed by online questionnaire. Among our test population, 159 patients (53%) reported olfactory and gustatory alterations within 5 days of testing positive for COVID-19. 52% of those complaining olfactory dysfunction developed it before testing positive while 45% of those having gustatory dysfunction reported the same before testing positive for the disease. Olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions represent common clinical findings in COVID-19 patients. Otorhinolaryngologists and head-neck surgeons must by now keep this diagnostic option in mind when evaluating cases of nonspecific anosmia and ageusia that arose suddenly and are not associated with rhinitis/influenza symptoms.

Olfactory dysfunction at six months after coronavirus disease 2019 infection

“…[3][4][5] Olfactory dysfunction has been shown to occur in patients acutely infected with SARS-CoV-2 at rates of 25-98 per cent. 1,2,[6][7][8][9] This large variability in reported rates of olfactory dysfunction is likely multifactorial, with sizeable differences in sample size between studies, and with some using subjective reports of smell loss and others using objective testing methods. Of note, individuals with mild Covid-19 tend to have higher rates of olfactory dysfunction than those with severe disease.…”

Incidence of Anosmia among Covid 19 patients in India

“…OSNs convey odour related information to the first relay station, olfactory bulb and from there, information is further carried to higher brain centres to complete odour perception. Conscious perception of odours are relayed to the orbitofrontal cortex [ 17 – 20 ] with interconnections to the limbic system, cerebellum and insula.…”

“…Olfactory sensation starts when the odoriferous substance reaches the olfactory cleft and dissolve through the nasal mucosa to binds to the receptors on the dendritic cilia of olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs). The 6-30 million OSN has a [17][18][19][20] with interconnections to the limbic system, cerebellum and insula.…”

Manifestações Gastrointestinais Diretas E Indiretas

“…August 2020, of the 300 patients positivized to COVID-19, 159 (53%) had both gustatory and olfactory disfunctions, showing the predominance of these symptoms that directly impact the nutritional issue (11).…”

“…This gustatory disfunction may be related to both saliva's changes and composition, while the olfactory damage occurs through the virus tropism throughout superior sensitive airways and also by olfactory receptors in nasal epithelium (11).…”