Post-COVID-19 Impairment of the Senses of Smell, Taste, Hearing, and Balance.

BACKGROUND: Various symptoms have been associated with COVID-19, but little is known about the impacts of COVID-19 on the sensory system, risk factors, and the duration of symptoms. This study assesses olfactory, gustatory, hearing, and vestibular systems after COVID-19. METHODS: This cross-sectional, single-center study involved 50 patients one to six months after COVID-19 and reports their patient records and the extent, onset, and duration of olfactory, gustatory, hearing, and balance disorders using questionnaires during and after COVID-19. Sensory symptoms were objectively studied using the following clinical tests after COVID-19 Sniffin' Sticks, taste tests, tone/speech audiometry, and video head impulse test. RESULTS: Post-COVID-19-patients were suffering from olfactory and gustatory impairment for up to six months. According to the Dizziness Handicap Inventory, balance disorders were less noticed: Overall, about 40% of the patients during COVID-19 and nearly all patients recovered within six months. After COVID-19, clinical tests revealed that 75% were suffering from hyposomnia/anosmia, and 20% of all patients reported mild hypogeusia for up to six months. Vestibular disorders and hearing impairment rarely/did not occur. Females were significantly more affected by sensory impairments than males. CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19 particularly caused olfactory and gustatory impairment; balance disorders were present too; vestibular and auditory symptoms were negligible.

Prevalence of subjective impairments of the sense of smell and taste in employees of retirement and nursing homes during SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

AIM: To investigate the usability of querying subjective impairments of the sense of smell and taste in order to improve pre-test probability in testing for SARS-CoV-2. To achieve this, exploring the prevalence of these restrictions in the COVID-19-negative population, as well as nasal co-symptoms. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study was carried out as part of the secondary prophylaxis, following the STROBE guidelines of the EQUATOR network. METHODS: In total, 1,734 employees of retirement and nursing homes were tested for COVID-19 and asked for subjective reduction or loss in the sense of smell and taste, furthermore about nasal co-symptoms such as nasal obstruction and rhinorrhoea. RESULTS: All employees tested negative for COVID-19. Subjective hyposmia and hypogeusia rarely occurred and were usually accompanied by other nasal symptoms such as nasal obstruction. Querying subjective hyposmia/anosmia or hypogeusia/ageusia appears to be a useful anamnestic instrument for the clinical assessment of the probability of SARS-CoV-2 infection.