Persisting olfactory dysfunction in post-COVID-19 is associated with gustatory impairment: Results from chemosensitive testing eight months after the acute infection.
Constantin A HintschichRené FischerThomas HummelJürgen J WenzelChristopher BohrVeronika VielsmeierPublished in: PloS one (2022)
Olfactory and gustatory disorders are prominent symptoms of acute COVID-19. Although both senses recover in many patients within weeks to months, persistency has been described in up to 60%. However up to now most reports on the course of chemosensitive disorders after COVID-19 are not based on psychophysical testing but only on subjective patients' ratings. In this study we assessed both olfaction and gustation using psychophysical tests eight months after COVID-19. Validated psychophysical testing revealed hyposmia in 18% and hypogeusia in even 32% of 303 included patients. This shows that olfactory and especially gustatory disorders have to be seen as important chronic symptoms post-COVID-19. The high prevalence of gustatory dysfunction indicates that gustatory function does not recover or might even deteriorate in the months following the acute infection.
Keyphrases
- coronavirus disease
- end stage renal disease
- sars cov
- ejection fraction
- chronic kidney disease
- newly diagnosed
- peritoneal dialysis
- liver failure
- prognostic factors
- oxidative stress
- drug induced
- depressive symptoms
- patient reported outcomes
- single cell
- physical activity
- respiratory syndrome coronavirus
- hepatitis b virus
- patient reported
- preterm birth