The clinical course of smell and taste loss in COVID-19 hospitalized patients

A Printza; M Katotomichelakis; S Metallidis; P Panagopoulos; A Sarafidou; V Petrakis; J Constantinidis

The clinical course of smell and taste loss in COVID-19 hospitalized patients

Hippokratia. 2020 Apr-Jun;24(2):66-71.

Authors

A Printza¹, M Katotomichelakis², S Metallidis³, P Panagopoulos⁴, A Sarafidou¹, V Petrakis⁴, J Constantinidis¹

Affiliations

¹ 1 Otolaryngology Department, Medical School, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
² Otolaryngology Department, School of Health Sciences, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupoli, Greece.
³ First Department of Internal Medicine, AHEPA Hospital, Medical School, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
⁴ Department of Internal Medicine, School of Health Sciences, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupoli, Greece.

PMID: 33488054
PMCID: PMC7811875

Abstract

Background: Recent studies have demonstrated an association between a new onset of smell or taste loss and COVID-19. We investigated the prevalence of smell and/or taste loss and the clinical characteristics and recovery in a comprehensive cohort of consecutive patients treated by two COVID-19 reference hospitals and evaluated late persistence of hyposmia.

Methods: A retrospective observational questionnaire study was conducted. All consecutive RT-PCR diagnosed patients who had been hospitalized in March-April 2020 in the COVID-19 care wards were contacted, excluding patients with cognitive disorders and severe deconditioning. The patients responded to a survey about the loss of smell and taste, nasal blockage, and rhinorrhea, rated the symptoms' severity from 0 to 4, and reported the recovery of smell and taste with time. Demographic and clinical characteristics were recorded.

Results: We contacted 117 patients. Ninety responded to the questionnaire; 38.9 % of them reported olfactory and 36.66 % gustatory disorders during their disease. Smell loss prior to other symptoms was reported by 42.86 %, and severe hyposmia/anosmia by 74.28 % of the hyposmic. Among the non-ICU treated patients, 43.75 % reported hyposmia. Only 8.89 % had nasal blockage, and 6.66 % rhinorrhea. Most of the patients (85.71 %) recovered their sense of smell in 3-61 days (median: 17; IQR: 24), but 8.57 % had persistent hyposmia. For one out of four, the olfactory loss lasted longer than a month.

Conclusion: Smell and taste loss are highly prevalent and early symptoms in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. The great majority recover their smell, but nearly one out of ten have not recovered in two months. HIPPOKRATIA 2020, 24(2): 66-71.

Keywords: COVID-19; Olfactory dysfunction; anosmia; loss of smell; loss of taste; post-viral.