Patterns of self-reported recovery from chemosensory dysfunction following SARS-CoV-2 infection: insights after 1 year of the pandemic

Abstract

Background

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19), due to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), causes chemosensory dysfunction.

Aims/objectives

To determine the characteristics of chemosensory dysfunction and to identify factors associated with chemosensory complete recovery and time to recovery.

Materials and methods

This cross-sectional study included all patients presenting with chemosensory dysfunction and confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection from May to August 2020 who underwent telemedicine follow-up after 1 year to assess their chemosensory recovery.

Results

A total of 372 patients were included, of which 53.8% were male. The mean age ± SD was 37.45 ± 13.44. The majority experienced combined (olfactory and gustatory) dysfunction (85.7%), and 315 patients (84.7%) had complete loss of chemosensory function. The independent predictors associated with a low likelihood of complete recovery were parosmia (aOR 0.16, p < .001), upper respiratory tract symptoms (aOR 0.28, p = .001), and dyspnoea (aOR 0.21, p < .001), whereas the factors associated with a long recovery period were parosmia (aOR 12.04, p = .002), headache (aOR 7.19, p = .007), and hypertension (aOR 7.76, p = .039).

Conclusions

A full recovery outcome was predominant. The presence of parosmia was linked to both an incomplete recovery and a long time to recovery.

Significance

Parosmia and respiratory symptoms are implicated in the incomplete recuperation of chemosensory function.

Chinese Abstract

背景：冠状病毒病 (COVID-19), 由于严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒 2 (SARS-CoV-2) , 会导致化感功能障碍。

目的：确定化感功能障碍的特征并确定化感完全恢复的相关因及恢复时间。

材料和方法：这项横断面研究包括在 2020 年 5 月至 2020 年 8 月期间出现化学感觉功能障碍和被确诊为 SARS-CoV-2 感染的所有患者, 他们在1年后接受远程医疗随访, 以评估他们的化感恢复。

结果：共纳入372例患者, 其中男性占53.8%。平均年龄 ± SD 为37.45 ± 13.44。大多数人经历了综合（嗅觉和味觉）功能障碍（85.7%）, 并且315 名患者 (84.7%) 完全丧失化感功能。与完全康复可能性低相关的独立预测因素是嗅觉异常 (aOR 0.16, p < .001)、上呼吸道症状 (aOR 0.28, p = .001) 和呼吸困难 (aOR 0.21, p < .001), 而恢复期较长的相关因素是嗅觉异常 (aOR 12.04, p = .002)、头痛 (aOR 7.19, p = .007) 和高血压（aOR 7.76, p = .039）。

结论：完全恢复的结果占主导地位。嗅觉异常的存在与恢复不完全和恢复时间长这两者有关。

意义：嗅觉障碍和呼吸道症状与没有从化感功能障碍完全恢复相关。

Keywords:

• COVID-19
• chemosensory dysfunction
• olfactory disorders
• taste disorders
• SARS-CoV-2

Disclosure statement

All authors have no conflicts of interest.

Data availability statement

The data generated during this study are available upon reasonable request.