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. 2021 Dec;278(12):4831-4837.
doi: 10.1007/s00405-021-06764-y. Epub 2021 Mar 28.

Long-term follow-up of olfactory and gustatory dysfunction in COVID-19: 6 months case-control study of health workers

Juan Riestra-Ayora  1   2 , Joaquin Yanes-Diaz  3   4 , Jonathan Esteban-Sanchez  3   4 , Cristina Vaduva  3 , Cristina Molina-Quiros  3   4 , Alba Larran-Jimenez  3 , Eduardo Martin-Sanz  3   4
Affiliations

Long-term follow-up of olfactory and gustatory dysfunction in COVID-19: 6 months case-control study of health workers

Juan Riestra-Ayora et al. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2021 Dec.

Abstract

Purpose: The study aimed to determine the incidence and long-term evolution of COVID-related olfactory (OD) and gustatory (GD) dysfunction, the recovery timeline, and the association with other symptoms. The secondary objective was to identify the predictive clinical factors for the evolution of these symptoms.

Methods: A prospective case-control study was conducted from March 15 to October 15, 2020, in health workers with COVID-19 related symptoms in a tertiary care hospital. 320 patients were included after 6 months of follow-up: 195 in the case group and 125 in the control group. Olfactory dysfunction (OD), dysosmia, and gustatory dysfunction (GD) onset and recovery rate after 6 months follow-up are analyzed in both groups.

Results: There were 125 (64.1%) in case group patients with OD and 118 (60.5%) with GD. Total or partial recovery OD and GD was found in 89%, mainly in the first 2 months. In the control group, there were 14 (11.2%) patients with OD and 33 (26.4%) patients with GD, with 100% of total/partial recovery.

Conclusion: In both groups, OD and GD showed high-resolution rates during the first two months after the onset of symptoms. Nevertheless, 11% of the case group patients did not show any recovery, and the partial resolution was present in 30% of our patients, at the 6 months follow-up. We found a high correlation between OD and GD, both in the appearance of symptoms and in their recovery. Nasal obstruction and dyspnea have been identified as risk factors for the persistence of symptoms.

Keywords: COVID-19; Dysosmia; Gustatory perception; Olfactory perception; Quality of life; SARS-CoV-2.

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Conflict of interest statement

No, no sponsorships or competing interests have been disclosed for this article.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Kaplan–Meier analysis of the percentage of subjects who had a total recovery from their OD. Separate curves were constructed for the two different groups, case, and controls, based on the results of the RT-PCR. The log-rank test was used to compare the different survival distributions
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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