The COVOSMIA-19 trial: Preliminary application of the Singapore smell and taste test to objectively measure smell and taste function with COVID-19

Sheen, Florence; Tan, Vicki Wei Kee; Lim, Amanda JiaYing; Haldar, Sumanto; Sengupta, Shamik; Allen, David W.; Somani, Jyoti; Chen, Hui Yee; Tambyah, Paul A.

doi:10.1016/j.foodqual.2021.104482

Cited by 8 publications

(11 citation statements)

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“…Second, symptoms were self-reported and based on cross-sectional surveys, and therefore, may contain suboptimal sensitivity. A previous report has shown that subjectivity of self-reporting may lead to underestimation of the prevalence of olfactory dysfunction,19 and some smell and taste tests seem to measure changes in smell and taste more objectively 46. Ultimately, the viral load was significantly higher in symptomatic than in asymptomatic subjects 47.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 90%

“…A previous report has shown that subjectivity of self-reporting may lead to underestimation of the prevalence of olfactory dysfunction, 19 and some smell and taste tests seem to measure changes in smell and taste more objectively. 46 Ultimately, the viral load was Open access significantly higher in symptomatic than in asymptomatic subjects. 47 In this study, SARS-CoV-2 RNA tests did not provide the test results as cycle threshold values, which may be strongly associated with symptoms of Omicron infections.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Prevalence of taste and smell dysfunction in mild and asymptomatic COVID-19 patients during Omicron prevalent period in Shanghai, China: a cross-sectional survey study

et al. 2023

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ObjectivesCOVID-19, which is caused by SARS-CoV-2, is a severe threat to human health and the economy globally. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of taste and/or smell dysfunction and associated risk factors in mild and asymptomatic patients with Omicron infection in Shanghai, China.DesignThis was a questionnaire-based cross-sectional study.SettingCOVID-19 patients at the makeshift hospital in the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Centre were recruited from March to April 2022.ParticipantsIn total, 686 COVID-19-infected patients who were defined as mild or asymptomatic cases according to the diagnostic criteria of New Coronavirus Pneumonia Prevention and Control Programme ninth edition (National Health Commission of China, 2022) were enrolled.MeasuresData to investigate taste and smell loss and to characterise other symptoms were collected by the modified Chemotherapy-induced Taste Alteration Scale and Sino-Nasal Outcome Test-22 questionnaires. The risk factors for the severity of taste/smell dysfunction were analysed by binary logistic regression models.Results379 males (379/686, 55.2%) and 307 females (307/686, 44.8%) completed the questionnaires to record recent changes in taste and smell ability. A total of 302 patients (44%) had chemosensory dysfunction with Omicron infection, of which 22.7% (156/686) suffered from both taste and smell dysfunction. In addition, cough (60.2%), expectoration (40.5%), fever (33.2%) and sore throat (32.5%) were common symptoms during Omicron infection. The quality-of-life-related indicators were negatively associated with participants’ self-reported taste and smell dysfunction.ConclusionsThe prevalence of taste or/and smell dysfunction in patients with Omicron infections was 44%. Individuals with chemosensory dysfunction had significantly higher rates of various upper respiratory influenza-like symptoms, xerostomia and bad breath. Moreover, smell dysfunction was a risk factor for the prevalence of taste dysfunction in patients with Omicron infection.Trial registration numberChiCTR 2200059097.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 90%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prevalence of taste and smell dysfunction in mild and asymptomatic COVID-19 patients during Omicron prevalent period in Shanghai, China: a cross-sectional survey study

et al. 2023

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“…Acute loss of taste and smell are key prognostic markers suggested for COVID-19 screening by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders and the Global Consortium for Chemosensory Research report 6 . Because the oral and nasal mucosa are the initial host targets for SARS-CoV-2 infection and high-risk sites for high viral loads, biological secretions or swabs from this milieu provide a rapid screening tool for COVID-19 diagnosis 7 . Active screening for OD/GD also provides a means for workplace entrance screening procedures 73 …”

Section: Perspectives For the Future And Conclusionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…4 Both OD and GD are now considered critical markers in the diagnosis and clinical management of COVID-19 by several international health organizations. [5][6][7] A multicenter study of 12 hospitals and clinics in Europe on a total of 417 patients reported that both OD (86%) and GD (88%) were prominent clinical manifestations. 8 Another study found OD/anosmia in approximately 50% of European COVID-19 patients and it was often associated with GD/ageusia.…”

Section: Global Prevalence Of Csd In Covid-19mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…6 Because the oral and nasal mucosa are the initial host targets for SARS-CoV-2 infection and high-risk sites for high viral loads, biological secretions or swabs from this milieu provide a rapid screening tool for COVID-19 diagnosis. 7 Active screening for OD/GD also provides a means for workplace entrance screening procedures. 73 Anosmia/OD and ageusia/GD (and their variations) have attracted global attention to the chemosensory and neurological implications of the COVID-19 pandemic.…”

Section: Tryptophanmentioning

confidence: 99%

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No Smell, No Taste—Dealing With a “Senseless” Phase of the Pandemic

Naidu

Clemens

2022

Nutr Today

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The SARS-CoV-2 infection alters smell and taste sensations in many patients. These 2 neurosensory impairments, namely, (1) the loss of smell, an olfactory dysfunction (OD) or anosmia, and (2) the loss of taste, a gustatory dysfunction (GD) or ageusia, are often the earliest and, sometimes, the only signs in otherwise asymptomatic individuals. Both OD and GD are recognized by the international scientific community as one of the critical symptoms of COVID-19. The prevalence of COVID-19–related OD is higher among women (although less likely to experience severe forms of SARS-CoV-2 infection) than men. The total loss of taste sense or GD is more common among the elderly COVID-19 patients than in the younger population. In “long” COVID or postacute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) patients, OD/GD could persist for months to years, depending on the extent of damage caused by the SARS-CoV-2 infection to the olfactory and gustatory systems. Olfactory dysfunction and GD manifestations may severely disrupt quality of life, which includes altered eating habits, loss of appetite, weight change, and loss of pleasure in food consumption, and may further affect psychological well-being, social bonding, altered intimacy, and relationship to self and others. The hedonic value of diet relies exclusively on its flavor; however, the onset of OD/GD during SARS-CoV-2 infection deprives such organoleptic experiences of nutrition. To compensate for these OD/GD issues, the chemosensory focus of COVID-19/PASC patients during dietary consumption may shift toward food texture (to stimulate trigeminal nerves) and food colors (to stimulate brain activity), to sustain appetite as well as enhance the pleasure of eating. Olfactory training with repeated exposure to 4 intense odors twice daily has been a traditional rehabilitation practice to alleviate olfactory impairments in COVID-19. The neurosensory impairments in COVID-19 pathobiology culminate from iron-redox dysregulation, viral-induced host metabolic reprogramming, and host mitochondrial dysfunction. Therefore, nutritional restoration of host metabolic reprogramming and mitochondrial function could provide an effective strategy to reverse iron-redox dysregulation syndrome and combat OD/GD in COVID-19 and PASC patients. Innate regulators of iron-redox homeostasis, such as lactoferrin, heme oxygenase-1, erythropoietin, and hepcidin modulators, could serve as potential interventions for OD/GD recovery.

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Psychophysical assessment of olfactory and gustatory function in post‐mild COVID‐19 patients: A matched case‐control study with 2‐year follow‐up

Boscolo‐Rizzo

Hummel

Invitto

et al. 2023

Int Forum Allergy Rhinol

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BackgroundThe aim of this study was to psychophysically evaluate the prevalence of smell and taste dysfunction 2 years after mildly symptomatic severe acute respiratory syndrome–coronavirus‐2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) infection compared to that observed at 1‐year follow‐up and while considering the background of chemosensory dysfunction in the no‐coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) population.MethodThis is a prospective case‐control study on 93 patients with polymerase chain reaction (PCR)‐positive SARS‐CoV‐2 infection and 93 matched controls. Self‐reported olfactory and gustatory dysfunction was assessed by 22‐item Sino‐Nasal‐Outcome Test (SNOT‐22), item “Sense of smell or taste.” Psychophysical orthonasal and retronasal olfactory function and gustatory performance were estimated using the extended Sniffin’ Sticks test battery, 20 powdered tasteless aromas, and taste strips test, respectively. Nasal trigeminal sensitivity was assessed by sniffing a 70% solution of acetic acid.ResultsThe two psychophysical assessments of chemosensory function took place after a median of 409 days (range, 366–461 days) and 765 days (range, 739–800 days) from the first SARS‐CoV‐2–positive swab, respectively. At 2‐year follow‐up, cases exhibited a decrease in the prevalence of olfactory (27.9% vs. 42.0%; absolute difference, −14.0%; 95% confidence interval [CI], −21.8% to −2.6%; p = 0.016) and gustatory dysfunction (14.0% vs. 25.8%; absolute difference, −11.8%; 95% CI, −24.2% to 0.6%; p = 0.098). Subjects with prior COVID‐19 were more likely than controls to have an olfactory dysfunction (27.9% vs. 10.8 %; absolute difference, 17.2%; 95% CI, 5.2% to 28.8%) but not gustatory dysfunction (14.0% vs. 9.7%; absolute difference, 4.3%; 95% CI, −5.8% to 14.4% p = 0.496) still 2 years after the infection. Overall, 3.2% of cases were still anosmic 2 years after the infection.ConclusionsAlthough a proportion of subjects recovered from long‐lasting smell/taste dysfunction more than 1 year after COVID‐19, cases still exhibited a significant excess of olfactory dysfunction 2 years after SARS‐CoV‐2 infection when compared to matched controls.

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The COVOSMIA-19 trial: Preliminary application of the Singapore smell and taste test to objectively measure smell and taste function with COVID-19

Cited by 8 publications

References 53 publications

Prevalence of taste and smell dysfunction in mild and asymptomatic COVID-19 patients during Omicron prevalent period in Shanghai, China: a cross-sectional survey study

Prevalence of taste and smell dysfunction in mild and asymptomatic COVID-19 patients during Omicron prevalent period in Shanghai, China: a cross-sectional survey study

No Smell, No Taste—Dealing With a “Senseless” Phase of the Pandemic

Psychophysical assessment of olfactory and gustatory function in post‐mild COVID‐19 patients: A matched case‐control study with 2‐year follow‐up

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