Transient Anosmia and Dysgeusia in COVID-19 Disease: A Cross Sectional Study

Abstract

This study aims to explore the prevalence of anosmia and dysgeusia and their impact on COVID-19 patients. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study. Patients diagnosed with COVID-19 between 1st October 2020 and 30th June 2021 were randomly selected from a national COVID-19 registry. COVID-19 cases were diagnosed using molecular testing method which measured the viral E gene. The Anosmia Reporting Tool, and a brief version of the questionnaire on olfactory disorders were used to measure the outcomes via telephone interviews. Data were analysed using SPSS 27 statistics software. Results: A total of 405 COVID-19 adults were included in this study, 220 (54.3%) were males and 185 (45.8%) were females. The mean±SD age of participants was 38.2 ± 11.3 years. Alterations in the sense of smell and taste were reported by 206 (50.9%), and 195 (48.1%) of the patients, respectively. Sex and nationality of participants were significantly associated with anosmia and dysgeusia (p < 0.001) and (p-value=0.001) respectively. Among patients who experienced anosmia and dysgeusia, alterations in eating habits (64.2%), impact on mental wellbeing (38.9%), concerns that the alterations were permanent (35.4%), and physical implications and difficulty performing activities of daily living (34%) were reported. Conclusion: Anosmia and dysgeusia are prevalent symptoms of COVID-19 disease, especially among females. Although transient, anosmia and dysgeusia had considerable impact on patient's life. Neuropsychological implications of COVID-19 in acute infection phase and prognosis of anosmia and dysgeusia in COVID-19 are areas for further exploration.

Living and Coping with Olfactory and Taste Disorders: A Qualitative Study of People with Long-COVID-19

“…Leisure limitation 1,2 None: n = 6 (50%) A little: n = 3 (25%) Moderate: n = 3 (25%) 1 n represents the number of participants presenting other symptoms and/or limitations of activities of daily living, work, or leisure activities. 2 Evaluated using the Functional Impairment Checklist (FIC) [47,48].…”

“…People suffering from coronavirus disease, 2019 (COVID-19) experience symptoms including dry cough, dyspnea, fatigue, fever, diarrhea, anorexia, nausea, vomiting, headaches, and/or muscle pain [1][2][3]. However, a distinctive feature of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) acute infection is the presence of smell and taste disorders [1,4,5]. These olfactory disorders may be present after the acute infection, as a part of what is known as post-COVID-19 condition [6].…”

“…To explain the pathophysiology of olfactory and taste disorders due to SARS-CoV-2, three mechanisms have been proposed: (1) conduction loss caused by olfactory cleft obstruction; (2) lesion of the olfactory epithelium; (3) lesion of the olfactory bulb [16]. At present, research is continuing and there has been no fully defined explanation since SARS-CoV-2 does not cause nasal congestion or secretion [2,17,18].…”

Use of Stellate Ganglion Block to Treat Anosmia and Dysgeusia Associated With COVID-19: A Narrative Review

“…Anosmia and dysgeusia associated with COVID-19 are notorious symptoms of infection that both affect almost half of those infected 37. Sometimes transient and sometimes not, these forms of sensory loss have a significant impact on patients' lives.…”

Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Shown Effective for the Treatment of Osteoarthritis

“…Anosmia and dysgeusia associated with COVID-19 are notorious symptoms of infection that both affect almost half of those infected. 37 Sometimes transient and sometimes not, these forms of sensory loss have a significant impact on patients' lives. SGB has emerged as a promising form of treatment for these symptoms, given its track record in relieving anosmia and dysgeusia regardless of association with COVID-19.…”