tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
HNO
. 2021 Dec 23.
doi: 10.1007/s00106-021-01129-7. Online ahead of print.
High prevalence of long-term olfactory dysfunction confirmed by olfactory testing after a community COVID-19 outbreak
Hilmar Gudziol[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Timo Kirschstein[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Mathias W Pletz[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Sebastian Weis[SUP] 2 3 4 [/SUP], Orlando Guntinas-Lichius[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Thomas Bitter[SUP] 1 [/SUP], CoNAN study group
Collaborators, Affiliations
Abstract
in English, German
Purpose: The prevalence of long-term olfactory and gustatory dysfunction in participants suffering from sudden chemosensory loss due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is unknown. Furthermore, evaluations of the reliability of participants' self-reporting of olfactory function (SOF) and gustatory function (SGF) using extended objective psychophysical testing are missing.
Methods: In this population-based cohort study in a PCR-tested community in Thuringia, Germany, olfactory function was extensively examined 4 months after a COVID-19 outbreak using the "Sniffin Sticks" test battery to determine the TDI[SUB]a[/SUB] score, i.e., the sum of results obtained for threshold, discrimination, and identification scores averaged for both nasal sides. Gustatory function was assessed using the three-drop test resulting in the gustatory composite score (CS[SUB]g[/SUB]). The data were compared with SOF and SGF.
Results: Of 43 adult convalescents (median age: 68 years; 58% female) after SARS-CoV‑2 infection, 18 participants (42%) had olfactory complaints due to SOF, one participant (2%) complained of taste disturbance due to SGF. The TDI[SUB]a[/SUB] was 22.0 ± 5.9. Normosmia, hyposmia, and anosmia were seen in 17, 18, and eight participants, respectively. TDI[SUB]a[/SUB] correlated with SOF (r[SUB]s[/SUB] = -0.434, p = 0.004); CS[SUB]g[/SUB] was 23.5 ± 2.7. Normogeusia and hypogeusia were objectified in 39 and four participants, respectively. The prevalence of long-term olfactory dysfunction and gustatory dysfunction in the study group was 60.5 and 9.3%, respectively.
Conclusion: The SOF was reliable, especially for participants who felt a sudden chemosensory dysfunction during the outbreak. At 4 months after SARS-CoV‑2 infection, a high proportion of participants were dysosmic, whereas nearly all of them had normal taste function.
Keywords: Coronavirus; Long-term sequelae; Olfaction; Outbreak; Smell.
. 2021 Dec 23.
doi: 10.1007/s00106-021-01129-7. Online ahead of print.
High prevalence of long-term olfactory dysfunction confirmed by olfactory testing after a community COVID-19 outbreak
Hilmar Gudziol[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Timo Kirschstein[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Mathias W Pletz[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Sebastian Weis[SUP] 2 3 4 [/SUP], Orlando Guntinas-Lichius[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Thomas Bitter[SUP] 1 [/SUP], CoNAN study group
Collaborators, Affiliations
- PMID: 34940903
- DOI: 10.1007/s00106-021-01129-7
Abstract
in English, German
Purpose: The prevalence of long-term olfactory and gustatory dysfunction in participants suffering from sudden chemosensory loss due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is unknown. Furthermore, evaluations of the reliability of participants' self-reporting of olfactory function (SOF) and gustatory function (SGF) using extended objective psychophysical testing are missing.
Methods: In this population-based cohort study in a PCR-tested community in Thuringia, Germany, olfactory function was extensively examined 4 months after a COVID-19 outbreak using the "Sniffin Sticks" test battery to determine the TDI[SUB]a[/SUB] score, i.e., the sum of results obtained for threshold, discrimination, and identification scores averaged for both nasal sides. Gustatory function was assessed using the three-drop test resulting in the gustatory composite score (CS[SUB]g[/SUB]). The data were compared with SOF and SGF.
Results: Of 43 adult convalescents (median age: 68 years; 58% female) after SARS-CoV‑2 infection, 18 participants (42%) had olfactory complaints due to SOF, one participant (2%) complained of taste disturbance due to SGF. The TDI[SUB]a[/SUB] was 22.0 ± 5.9. Normosmia, hyposmia, and anosmia were seen in 17, 18, and eight participants, respectively. TDI[SUB]a[/SUB] correlated with SOF (r[SUB]s[/SUB] = -0.434, p = 0.004); CS[SUB]g[/SUB] was 23.5 ± 2.7. Normogeusia and hypogeusia were objectified in 39 and four participants, respectively. The prevalence of long-term olfactory dysfunction and gustatory dysfunction in the study group was 60.5 and 9.3%, respectively.
Conclusion: The SOF was reliable, especially for participants who felt a sudden chemosensory dysfunction during the outbreak. At 4 months after SARS-CoV‑2 infection, a high proportion of participants were dysosmic, whereas nearly all of them had normal taste function.
Keywords: Coronavirus; Long-term sequelae; Olfaction; Outbreak; Smell.