Korean J Otorhinolaryngol-Head Neck Surg.  2021 Oct;64(10):720-725. 10.3342/kjorl-hns.2020.00948.

Characteristics and Prognosis of COVID-19 Induced Olfactory and Gustatory Dysfunction in Daegu

• Heo SJ
• Kim TH
• Shin SH
• Ye MK

• KMID: 2521694
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3342/kjorl-hns.2020.00948

Abstract

Background and Objectives
Olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions have been known as characteristic symptoms of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, the study of the clinical features of olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions in COVID-19 is still insufficient.
Subjects and Method
Mild COVID-19 patients who complained of olfactory or gustatory dysfunctions in the telephone monitoring from March 8 to April 8, 2020 were included in this study. Patient information was collected using a Google questionnaire. COVID-19 symptoms, severity and improvement of olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions of patients were investigated.
Results
A total of 228 patients participated in this study. The number of male and female were 76 and 152, and the average age was 32.1±11.5 years. There were 210 patients (92.1%) of olfactory dysfunction, 179 patients (78.5%) of gustatory dysfunction, and 165 patients (71.4%) who complained of both symptoms. The 18.4% of patients complained only olfactory or gustatory dysfunction without other symptoms of COVID-19, and 51.1% of patients presented olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions as the first symptoms. Most of the patients (95.6%) improved olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions within several months, but only 79.8% of patients were normalized.
Conclusion
Since olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions are the first symptoms in the numerous COVID-19 patients, and continued research on these patients play an important role in the screening and prevention of COVID-19. Long-term observation and further studies of treatment are needed for 20.2% of patients who have not fully recovered.

Keyword

Coronavirus; COVID-19; Olfaction disorders; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Taste disorders