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. 2022 Feb 9:1-8.
doi: 10.1017/S0022215121003935. Online ahead of print.

Recovery of olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions in coronavirus disease 2019 patients: a prospective cohort study

M H Taziki Balajelini  1 , M A Vakili  2 , A Rajabi  3 , M Mohammadi  4 , A Tabarraei  5 , S M Hosseini  6
Affiliations

Recovery of olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions in coronavirus disease 2019 patients: a prospective cohort study

M H Taziki Balajelini et al. J Laryngol Otol. .

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to determine the association of some demographic and clinical factors with recovery from olfactory and gustatory dysfunction in coronavirus disease 2019 patients in Iran.

Methods: This prospective cohort study was performed on 242 coronavirus disease 2019 patients with olfactory and gustatory dysfunction. The time from onset to recovery for olfactory and gustatory dysfunction was estimated by the Kaplan-Meier estimator.

Results: After six months, 239 patients (98.8 per cent) had completely recovered from olfactory dysfunction. Olfactory and gustatory dysfunction symptoms resolved in 80.99 per cent and 83.56 per cent of the patients, respectively, within the first 30 days of symptom onset. Mean recovery time for olfactory dysfunction (35.07 ± 4.25 days) was significantly longer in those infected during the first epidemic wave compared with those infected during the second wave (21.65 ± 2.05 days) (p = 0.004). A similar pattern in recovery time was observed for cases of gustatory dysfunction (p = 0.005).

Conclusion: The recovery rate for coronavirus disease 2019 related olfactory and gustatory dysfunction is high within the first month of symptom onset.

Keywords: COVID-19; Cohort Studies; Recovery of Function; Smell; Taste Disorders.

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Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
The pattern of recovery time for patients with olfactory dysfunction (OD) and gustatory dysfunction (GD).
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.
The cumulative hazard for olfactory dysfunction (OD) recovery based on age groups, from February to July 2020.
Fig. 3.
Fig. 3.
The cumulative hazard for olfactory dysfunction (OD) recovery based on the epidemic wave in which patients were infected, from February to July 2020.
Fig. 4.
Fig. 4.
The cumulative hazard for olfactory dysfunction (OD) recovery based on the severity of dysfunction, from February to July 2020.
Fig. 5.
Fig. 5.
The cumulative hazard for gustatory dysfunction (GD) recovery based on age group, from February to July 2020.
Fig. 6.
Fig. 6.
The cumulative hazard for gustatory dysfunction (GD) recovery based on the epidemic wave in which patients were infected, from February to July 2020.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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