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. 2023 Apr 14;23(1):228.
doi: 10.1186/s12879-023-08162-7.

Antibody response, associated symptoms and profile of patients presumably infected by SARS-CoV-2 with taste or smell disorders in the SAPRIS multicohort study

Julien Ramillon  1 , Xavier de Lamballerie  2 , Olivier Robineau  3   4 , Hélène Blanché  5 , Gianluca Severi  6   7 , Mathilde Touvier  8 , Marie Zins  9 , Fabrice Carrat  1   3 ; SAPRIS-SERO study group; SAPRIS study group; Nathanaël Lapidus  10   11
Collaborators, Affiliations

Antibody response, associated symptoms and profile of patients presumably infected by SARS-CoV-2 with taste or smell disorders in the SAPRIS multicohort study

Julien Ramillon et al. BMC Infect Dis. .

Erratum in

Abstract

Background: Taste or smell disorders have been reported as strongly associated with COVID-19 diagnosis. We aimed to identify subject characteristics, symptom associations, and antibody response intensity associated with taste or smell disorders.

Methods: We used data from SAPRIS, a study based on a consortium of five prospective cohorts gathering 279,478 participants in the French general population. In the analysis, we selected participants who were presumably infected by SARS-CoV-2 during the first epidemic wave.

Results: The analysis included 3,439 patients with a positive ELISA-Spike. Sex (OR = 1.28 [95% CI 1.05-1.58] for women), smoking (OR = 1.54 [95% CI 1.13-2.07]), consumption of more than 2 drinks of alcohol a day (OR = 1.37 [95% CI 1.06-1.76]) were associated with a higher probability of taste or smell disorders. The relationship between age and taste or smell disorders was non-linear. Serological titers were associated with taste or smell disorders: OR = 1.31 [95% CI 1.26-1.36], OR = 1.37 [95% CI 1.33-1.42] and OR = 1.34 [95% CI 1.29-1.39] for ELISA-Spike, ELISA-Nucleocapsid and seroneutralization, respectively. Among participants with taste or smell disorders, 90% reported a wide variety of other symptoms whereas 10% reported no other symptom or only rhinorrhea.

Conclusions: Among patients with a positive ELISA-Spike test, women, smokers and people drinking more than 2 drinks a day were more likely to develop taste or smell disorders. This symptom was strongly associated with an antibody response. The overwhelming majority of patients with taste or smell disorders experienced a wide variety of symptoms.

Keywords: COVID-19 serological testing; General population; SARS-CoV-2; Smell disorders; Taste disorders.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Prof Fabrice Carrat reports personal fees from Sanofi, unrelated to the submitted work. Dr Olivier Robineau reports personal fees from MSD, Gilead, ViiV, unrelated to the submitted work.

All other authors declare no competing interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Inclusion of participants in the study. Legend: Flow diagram describing the process of inclusion in our study for participants to SAPRIS cohort
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Age-dependent estimated OR (95% CI) of taste or smell disorder, participants aged 40 as reference. Legend: Graphic representation of age-dependent estimated OR (and 95% CI) of taste and smell disorders in multivariable analyses. People aged 40 are considered as reference
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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