This cross-sectional study of positively diagnosed COVID-19 patients (2579 patients) aimed to study the incidence and epidemiological and clinical aspects linked with OD and GD in these patients as per disease severity (mild, moderate and severe).
This large population based study
identified a link between the otolaryngological symptoms
and patients with mild COVID-19. As found, the
occurrence of olfactory
dysfunction (OD), gustatory dysfunction (GD) and, rarely, aroma
dysfunction may be regarded as noble prognostic outcomes of COVID-19 as less
related with its moderate and severe-to-critical forms. Also, gender, age, and
diabetes encouraged the occurrence of these otolaryngological symptoms.
This cross-sectional study of positively
diagnosed COVID-19 patients
(2579 patients) aimed to study the incidence and epidemiological and clinical
aspects linked with OD and GD in these patients as per disease severity (mild,
moderate and severe).
The epidemiological
and clinical data were assessed of the patients under consideration. OD and GD
were collected via patient-reported outcome questionnaire and Sniffin’Sticks
tests were performed in a subgroup of patients.
Out of the total COVID-19 patients, 2166 were mild (84.0%),
144 were moderate (5.6%) and 269 were severe-to-critical (10.4%) patients. Most
commonly observed symptoms were OD, GD, nasal
obstruction, rhinorrhea and sore throat in patients with mild COVID-19.
Occurrence of subjective OD and GD was 73.7
and 46.8%, was more common in women than men and reduces with the disease
severity. Diabetes was linked with greater chances of GD.
Amid the patients who profited from psychophysical olfactory assessments, there were 75 anosmic, 43 hyposmic and 113 normosmic patients, as shown in the following figure:
Figure 1: Mean and standard deviation of Sniffin’Stick test assesses as per severity group
Occurrence of anosmia considerably reduced with
disease severity.
The patients with mild COVID-19
experience OD and GD more commonly than moderate, severe or critical cases.
Women are more prone to developing OD and GD than men.
European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology
Epidemiological, otolaryngological, olfactory and gustatory outcomes according to the severity of COVID-19: a study of 2579 patients
Jerome R. Lechien et al.
Comments (0)