Prevalence and Recovery of Olfactory Dysfunction in COVID-19 Patients

Abstract

Background: The altered sense of smell or taste has been noted among patients with COVID-19 and might be a useful early symptom of COVID-19 which can be used for screening purposes among the population. The study aimed to describe the prevalence and recovery of new- onset anosmia in patients with confirmed COVID-19 in the Indian rural population. Materials and methods: The prospective, cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary care rural teaching hospital, with 600 subjects of RT PCR confirmed COVID-19. Results were analysed for the study using standardized questionnaires to study the onset, characteristics, and recovery of olfactory dysfunction and associated taste disturbances.Results: 52 out of 350 COVID-19 patients who met the inclusion criteria had symptoms of anosmia. The prevalence of anosmia in COVID-19 patients was 8.6%. Among 52 subjects, 17 (32.6%) were female and the remaining 35 (67.4%) were male. The mean age of the study group was 48 years (range 19–72 years). Among these patients, 73% (38/52) of recovery from olfactory dysfunction started within the first week of diagnosis, compared with 19% (10/52) of whom recovery started between the 1st and 2nd weeks after onset. In 6% of patients, recovery started between 2 and 3 weeks after the onset, and the remaining cases started to recover after 3 weeks.Conclusion: We believe that this study will contribute to the increase in clinical suspicion of COVID-19 in patients with symptoms of sudden onset of anosmia, allowing for the early isolation of the suspected patients and consequently aiding in the effective control of the spread. Furthermore, the details of the disease course and recovery of anosmia can guide the clinical management of cases with COVID-19 related olfactory dysfunction. Furthermore, it will guide the treating physician in counseling the patient regarding the prognosis.