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. 2022 Dec 19;56(4):466-472.
doi: 10.14744/SEMB.2022.56492. eCollection 2022.

What Is the Long-Term Findings of Olfactory and Taste Loss due to COVID-19?

Affiliations

What Is the Long-Term Findings of Olfactory and Taste Loss due to COVID-19?

Bilge Turk et al. Sisli Etfal Hastan Tip Bul. .

Abstract

Objectives: The objective of this study was to determine prevalance, severity, course, and long-term findings of smell and taste disorders of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients in mild-moderate and severe-critical disease spectrum.

Methods: All adult patients conducted in our hospital with positive severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 between March and April 2020 were surveyed during disease course and those with olfactory and taste loss were re-surveyed to determine the course and progress of these symptoms after at least 12-month follow-up. Demographic features and clinical findings were evaluated as well as disease severity.

Results: A total of 77 patients with smell and/or taste loss symptoms were included in the study. At diagnosis, 58 (75.3%) patients had loss of smell and 75 (97.4%) had loss of taste. After a follow-up period of 12-14 months, 12 (15.6%) patients had ongoing loss of smell and six (8%) patients had ongoing loss of taste. Three (3.9%) patients complained of cacosmia and 5 (6.5%) complained of parosmia at follow-up. The presence of ongoing visual analog scale scores of smell and/or taste was not statistically significant between male and female patients. When presence and severity of symptoms were compared by disease severity, no statistically significant difference was found.

Conclusion: Smell and taste loss seem to be among the presenting symptoms of COVID-19. The prognosis and the treatment of the smell loss and taste loss in COVID-19 patients remains unclear. To improve and accelerate recovery, the pathophysiology and the treatment options must be validated.

Keywords: COVID-19; olfaction; smell; taste.

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Conflict of interest statement

None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The diagram for patient recruitment and exclusion and clinical distribution of included patients. RT-PCR: Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, SARS-CoV-2: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Histograms of VAS scores at diagnosis for loss of smell and taste. VAS: Visual analog scale.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Histograms of follow-up VAS scores. VAS: Visual analog scale.

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