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. 2021 Mar:142:110626.
doi: 10.1016/j.ijporl.2021.110626. Epub 2021 Jan 13.

Loss of smell and taste in COVID-19 infection in adolescents

Lakshit Kumar  1 , Namrata Kahlon  2 , Avani Jain  3 , Jasleen Kaur  1 , Mitasha Singh  4 , A K Pandey  2
Affiliations

Loss of smell and taste in COVID-19 infection in adolescents

Lakshit Kumar et al. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2021 Mar.

Abstract

Objectives: To study the prevalence, clinical course and outcomes of olfactory and taste dysfunction in COVID-19 positive adolescents.

Methods: This prospective study was carried out from May to August 2020. The adolescents, aged 10-19 years, who were detected COVID-19 positive by RT-PCR with mild to moderate disease were included in the study. The following epidemiological and clinical outcomes were studied: age, sex, general symptoms, olfactory and taste dysfunction.

Results: Out of 141 patients included in the study, there were 83 males (58.9%) and 58 females (41.1%). The age varied from 10 to 19 years with an average of 15.2 years. Forty patients (28.4%) had olfactory or taste dysfunction. Out of these 40 patients, 28 patients (19.8%) had both olfactory and taste dysfunction. Of the 34 patients (24.1%) who complained of olfactory dysfunction, 16 patients complained of hyposmia and 18 patients complained of anosmia. Dysgeusia was reported by 34 patients (24.1%). The duration of OTD varied from 2 to 15 days with an average of 5.7 days.

Conclusion: Loss of smell and taste are common symptoms in COVID-19 positive adolescents. It recovers spontaneously within a few weeks, along with the resolution of other symptoms.

Keywords: Adolescents; Anosmia; COVID-19; Children; Dysgeusia; Hyposmia.

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