ABSTRACT
Coronavirus-19 pandemic has impacted significantly on global social, economic, financial, and health institutions. Otolaryngologic (ORL) practice has also been affected by the scourge with the need for modification of practice. The risks of contracting COVID-19 with the regular "patient-doctor physical contact" method of management of cases in ORL practice are high, given the routine examination of nose and throat. The desirability of telemedicine in the handling of most patients is appealing despite the limitations in the technology, especially in the developing countries like Africa. Therefore, otorhinolaryngologists in Sub-Saharan Africa, within limits of applicability, should leverage on telemedicine in their clinical practice during this COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. COVID-19, being a disease of second chance, has provided us with the opportunity to harness this technologically driven method of supportive care in our clime.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Loss of smell and taste are considered potential discriminatory symptoms indicating triaging for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and early case identification. However, the estimated prevalence essential to guide public health policy varies in published literature. This meta-analysis aimed to estimate prevalence of smell and taste loss among COVID-19 patients. DATA SOURCES: We conducted systematic searches of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases for studies published on the prevalence of smell and taste loss in COVID-19 patients. REVIEW METHODS: Two authors extracted data on study characteristics and the prevalence of smell and taste loss. Random-effects modeling was used to estimate pooled prevalence. Subgroup analysis and meta-regression were conducted to explore potential heterogeneity sources. This study used PRISMA and MOOSE guidelines. RESULTS: Twenty-seven of 32 studies reported a prevalence of loss of smell, taste, or both from a combined sample of 20,451 COVID-19 patients. The estimated global pooled prevalence of loss of smell among 19,424 COVID-19 patients from 27 studies was 48.47% (95% CI, 33.78%-63.29%). Loss of taste was reported in 20 studies and 8001 patients with an estimated pooled prevalence of 41.47% (95% CI, 3.13%-31.03%), while 13 studies that reported combined loss of smell and taste in 5977 COVID-19 patients indicated a pooled prevalence of 35.04% (95% CI, 22.03%-49.26%). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of smell and taste loss among COVID-19 patients was high globally, and regional differences supported the relevance of these symptoms as important markers. Health workers must consider them as suspicion indices for empirical diagnosis of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection.