Incidence of Olfactory and Gustatory Dysfunctions in the Early Stages of COVID-19: An Objective Evaluation.

Introduction Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a dangerous infectious disease caused by a newly discovered severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that has various clinical presentations. Numerable cases with non-specific olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions in COVID-19 have been reported from all over the globe. This is important as awareness will let people to self-isolate and help in limiting disease spread. Objective To objectively evaluate the frequency of olfactory and gustatory dysfunction, which may occur independently or with other symptoms, in laboratory confirmed COVID-19 patients at an early stage of the disease. Methods Objective evaluation of olfactory and gustatory function of 322 COVID-19 patients treated at our hospital, (SMGS, Government Medical College, Jammu), from August 2020 until November 2020. Results Our study population included 127 (39.4%) males and 195 (60.6%) females. Two hundred and twenty-six (70.2%) COVID-19 patients experienced olfactory and gustatory disorders. One hundred and sixty-five (51.2%) cases experienced both olfactory and gustatory disorders. Isolated olfactory dysfunction was reported in 34 (10.6%) patients, while 27 (8.4%) patients experienced only gustatory dysfunction. Conclusion The olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions, without any nasal obstruction or rhinorrhea, are significant symptoms in the clinical presentation of early COVID-19 patients. This presentation can be recognized at the earliest one, and it can reduce the high communicability of the COVID-19 disease.

The prevalence of olfactory and gustatory dysfunction in covid-19 - A systematic review.

OBJECTIVES: Loss of smell or taste are early symptoms of COVID-19. Given the high asymptomatic rate of COVID-19, as well as unreliable temperature checking and contact history taking, it is important to understand the role of olfactory and gustatory dysfunction (OGD) in the diagnosis of COVID-19. The aim of this study is to determine how initial symptoms of OGD can be used to screen patients for COVID-19 laboratory testing. METHODS: We followed recommendations from the Preferred Reporting Items for Systemic Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) statement to conduct this systematic review study. We used OGD-related key words to search for literature published between January 1, 2020 and September 30, 2020 on Pubmed, Ovid Medline databases. We estimated the prevalence of OGD and compared it with that of other OGD-related symptoms. The weighted summary proportion under the fixed and random effects model was assessed using MedCalc statistical software. Whenever there was heterogeneity, a random effects model was selected. Publication bias was assessed by funnel plot asymmetry and Egger's regression test. RESULTS: A total of 25 articles (evidence level III:5; IV:20) were identified and reviewed. Data synthesis of 19 articles revealed that the pooled prevalence of olfactory dysfunction in COVID-19 is 53.56% (range 5.6-100%, 95% CI 40.25-66.61%). The pooled prevalence of gustatory dysfunction in COVID-19 is 43.93% (range 1.5-85.18%, 95% CI 28.72-59.74%), just behind fever (62.22%, range 18.18-95.83%, 95% CI 54.82-69.33%), cough (64.74%, range 38.89-87.5%, 95% CI 57.97-71.22%), and fatigue (56.74%, range 6.25-93.62%, 95% CI 32.53-79.35%). The prevalence of gustatory dysfunction in subgroup with objective evaluation is lower than those without (9.91% vs. 49.21%, relive risk 2.82, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Our updated systematic review attests that OGD is an important early symptom of COVID-19 infection. Screening for OGD should be further emphasized to prioritize patients for laboratory test.

Olfactory and Gustatory Alterations in Covid-19 Patients: A Tertiary Care Covid-19 Centre Inpatient Experience.

Corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has emerged as a deadly pandemic throughout the world. Many case series from all over the globe and in India are detecting a very high frequency of chemo sensitive disorders in COVID-19. There is increasing evidence that olfactory and gustatory dysfunction can be present in COVID-19 patients. Olfactory and gustatory function was subjectively tested in 300 COVID-19 patients admitted at our hospital, Government Medical College, Jammu first through telephonic interviews followed by online questionnaire. Among our test population, 159 patients (53%) reported olfactory and gustatory alterations within 5 days of testing positive for COVID-19. 52% of those complaining olfactory dysfunction developed it before testing positive while 45% of those having gustatory dysfunction reported the same before testing positive for the disease. Olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions represent common clinical findings in COVID-19 patients. Otorhinolaryngologists and head-neck surgeons must by now keep this diagnostic option in mind when evaluating cases of non-specific anosmia and ageusia that arose suddenly and are not associated with rhinitis/influenza symptoms.