ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The impacts of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) on nasal mucociliary clearance (MCC) have shown conflicting results. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine whether COVID-19 infections affect nasal mucociliary activity using the saccharin test to measure nasal MCC time. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This prospective comparative investigation included 25 patients with COVID-19 infection and 25 healthy controls. The nasal MCC time was assessed using the saccharin test. Saccharin test was applied to COVID-19 patients between the 10th and 20th days of COVID-19 test positivity. Patients admitted to the otolaryngology outpatient clinic with non-nasal symptoms and no history of COVID-19 infection served as the control subjects. RESULTS: Age, gender distribution, smoking, and alcohol usage, and the existence of other systemic disorders had no statistically significant differences between the groups (p = 0.25, p = 0.77, p = 1.00, p = 0.28, p = 0.54, respectively). The COVID-19 group had a mean nasal MCC time of 12.00 ± 2.51 min, compared to 9.77 ± 2.51 min in the control group. The nasal MCC time in the COVID-19 group was statistically significantly longer (p = 0.043). CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE: The COVID-19 infection negatively affects mucociliary activity and causes prolongation of MCC. As the nasal defense mechanism weakens in the early period after COVID-19 infection, susceptibility to respiratory infections may occur.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Mucociliary Clearance , Humans , Nasal Mucosa , Prospective Studies , Saccharin/pharmacologyABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The effect of Covid-19 infection on nasal mucociliary clearance (MCC) is unknown. AIMS/OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between Covid-19 and nasal MCC in terms of smoking, Covid-19 symptoms and treatment. METHODS: Thirty-six patients who were hospitalized in the pandemic ward due to Covid-19 and 36 volunteers (Covid-19 negative test result) who presented to the otolaryngology outpatient clinic with non-nasal symptoms were included in this study. The Saccharin test was performed in both groups to evaluate nasal MCC. RESULTS: The patients and control groups were not significantly different in terms of age and gender. The nasal MCC time was significantly higher in the patient group compared to the control group (19.18 ± 10.84 min and 13.78 ± 8.18 min, p = .003). CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE: In this study, we found that Covid-19 prolonged nasal MCC time regardless of age. We suggest that corticosteroids should be included in the treatment of Covid-19, both with its symptom reduction and its positive effect on MCC duration.