ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To outline the impact on quality of life in coronavirus disease 2019 patients with olfactory dysfunction. METHODS: Five databases were searched for articles referring to the impact on quality of life in coronavirus disease 2019 patients with olfactory dysfunction. The search was conducted for the period from November 2019 to April 2021. The search was conducted over one month (May 2021). RESULTS: Four studies that met the objective were included. Altogether, there were 1045 patients. Various questionnaires were used to assess quality of life. Overall, the quality of life deficit affected 67.7 per cent of patients. Quality of life domains investigated include overall quality of life (four studies), food and taste dysfunction (two studies), mental health (two studies), cognitive function (one study), functional outcome (one study) and safety domains (one study). CONCLUSION: Quality of life deficit was reported to be 67.7 per cent among coronavirus disease 2019 patients with olfactory dysfunction. The high prevalence of persistent olfactory dysfunction prompts more serious research, as the long-standing consequences of olfactory dysfunction are detrimental.
Subject(s)
COVID-19/complications , Cost of Illness , Olfaction Disorders/psychology , Quality of Life , SARS-CoV-2 , Adult , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Olfaction Disorders/epidemiology , Olfaction Disorders/virologyABSTRACT
Olfactory impairment is one of the more unique symptoms of COVID-19 infection and has therefore enjoyed increased public attention in recent months. Olfactory impairment has various implications and consequences ranging from difficulty detecting dangerous pathogens to hindering social functioning and social behaviors. We provide an overview of how olfactory impairment can impact 3 types of close social relationships: family relationships, friendships, and romantic relationships. Evidence is divided into several categories representing potential mechanisms by which olfactory impairment can impact close social relationships: bonding disruptions, decreased social support, missed group-eating experiences, hygiene concerns, and altered sexual behaviors. We conclude with a discussion of emerging future research questions.
Subject(s)
COVID-19/psychology , Olfaction Disorders/psychology , SARS-CoV-2/metabolism , Family Relations/psychology , Female , Friends/psychology , Humans , Interpersonal Relations , Loneliness , Male , Sexual Behavior/psychology , Social Behavior , Stress, Psychological/psychologyABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The association between COVID-19 and chemosensory loss has garnered substantial attention, however to date little is known about the real-life consequences of impairment in this unique patient population. The aim of this study is to evaluate the quality of life (QOL) and personal safety deficits experienced by patients with COVID-19 infection. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective, longitudinal questionnaires. SETTING: National survey. METHODS: A longitudinal web-based nationwide survey of adults with COVID-19 and/or a sudden change in smell and taste was launched April 10, 2020. Previously published questions on chemosensory-related QOL and safety events were asked at the 6-month follow-up survey. RESULTS: As of February 10, 2021, 480 eligible respondents took the 6-month questionnaire, of whom 322 were COVID-19 positive. Impact on QOL was substantial with 96% of subjects reporting at least one of the defined deficits, and over 75% reporting at least 3 of these. "Reduced enjoyment of food" was the most common complaint (87%), while 43% of subjects self-reported depression. The prevalence of safety-related issues was common in this population, with over 57% reporting at least one, and 36% reporting 2 or more events. Of the events asked, the inability to smell smoke that others could perceive was the most common at 45%. CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19 associated chemosensory losses have a real and substantial impact on both quality of life and safety, beyond mere inconvenience. The high prevalence of these issues despite a relatively short period of olfactory deficit should alert clinicians to the serious risks to an already vulnerable patient population.
Subject(s)
COVID-19/complications , Olfaction Disorders/complications , Quality of Life , Taste Disorders/complications , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Female , Humans , Longitudinal Studies , Male , Middle Aged , Olfaction Disorders/psychology , Olfaction Disorders/virology , Prospective Studies , Risk , Surveys and Questionnaires , Taste Disorders/psychology , Taste Disorders/virology , Young AdultABSTRACT
COVID-19 is a multi-organ disease due to an infection with the SARS-CoV2 virus. It has become a pandemic in early 2020. The disease appears less devastating in children and adolescents. However, stress, quarantine and eventually mourning have major impacts on development. It is difficult to describe what this pandemic implies for a child psychiatrist, other than by giving a first-hand account. I propose to go through the main ethical questions that have arisen; to describe how my hospital team has reorganized itself to meet the new demands and questions, in particular by opening a unit dedicated to people with autism and challenging behaviors affected by COVID-19; and to address, in a context of national discussion, how the discipline has sought to understand the conditions of a certain well-being during quarantine. Finally, I will try to conclude with more speculative reflections on re-opening.
Subject(s)
Adolescent Psychiatry , Attitude of Health Personnel , Autistic Disorder/therapy , Betacoronavirus , Child Psychiatry , Coronavirus Infections , Pandemics , Pneumonia, Viral , Psychiatry , Adolescent , Adolescent Behavior , Adolescent Psychiatry/ethics , Autistic Disorder/complications , Autistic Disorder/psychology , COVID-19 , Child , Child Behavior , Child Psychiatry/ethics , Communicable Disease Control/methods , Coronavirus Infections/complications , Coronavirus Infections/epidemiology , Coronavirus Infections/prevention & control , Coronavirus Infections/psychology , Coronavirus Infections/transmission , Cross Infection/complications , Cross Infection/psychology , Cross Infection/therapy , Environmental Exposure , France , Health Services Accessibility , Hospital Restructuring , Hospital Units/organization & administration , Humans , Infection Control/methods , Mental Health Services/ethics , Mental Health Services/organization & administration , Olfaction Disorders/etiology , Olfaction Disorders/psychology , Pandemics/prevention & control , Patient Acceptance of Health Care , Patient Care Team , Patient Isolation/psychology , Play Therapy , Pneumonia, Viral/complications , Pneumonia, Viral/prevention & control , Pneumonia, Viral/psychology , Pneumonia, Viral/transmission , Professional Practice/ethics , Protective Devices , Risk Factors , SARS-CoV-2 , Stress, Psychological/etiologySubject(s)
Betacoronavirus , Coronavirus Infections/complications , Olfaction Disorders/diagnosis , Olfaction Disorders/virology , Pneumonia, Viral/complications , Taste Disorders/diagnosis , Taste Disorders/virology , Adult , COVID-19 , COVID-19 Testing , Case-Control Studies , Clinical Laboratory Techniques , Coronavirus Infections/diagnosis , Coronavirus Infections/physiopathology , Coronavirus Infections/psychology , Female , Humans , Male , Olfaction Disorders/physiopathology , Olfaction Disorders/psychology , Olfactory Perception , Pandemics , Pneumonia, Viral/diagnosis , Pneumonia, Viral/physiopathology , Pneumonia, Viral/psychology , Prospective Studies , SARS-CoV-2 , Severity of Illness Index , Taste Disorders/physiopathology , Taste Disorders/psychology , Taste PerceptionABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine the burden of depressed mood and anxiety in COVID-19, and associated disease characteristics. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a prospective, cross-sectional study of 114 COVID-19 positive patients diagnosed using RT-PCR-based testing over a 6-week period. The two-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-2) and the two-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder questionnaire (GAD-2) were used to measure depressed mood and anxiety level, respectively, at enrollment and for participants' baseline, pre-COVID-19 state. Severity of smell loss, loss of taste, nasal obstruction, rhinorrhea/mucus production, fever, cough, and shortness of breath (SOB) during COVID-19 were assessed. RESULTS: PHQ-2 and GAD-2 significantly (P < .001) increased from baseline to enrollment. PHQ-2 was associated with smell loss (adjusted incidence rate ratio [aIRR] = 1.40, 95% CI, 1.10-1.78, P = .006), age (aIRR = 1.02, 95% CI, 1.01-1.04, P = .006), and baseline PHQ-2 score (aIRR = 1.39, 95% CI, 1.09-1.76, P = .007). GAD-2 score was associated with smell loss (aIRR = 1.29, 95% CI, 1.02-1.62, P = .035), age (aIRR = 1.02, 95% CI, 1.01-1.04, P = .025) and baseline GAD-2 score (aIRR = 1.55, 95% CI, 1.24-1.93, P < .001). Loss of taste also exhibited similar associations with PHQ-2 and GAD-2. PHQ-2 and GAD-2 scores were not associated with severities of any other symptoms during the COVID-19 course. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the occurrence of symptoms-such as SOB-associated with severe manifestations of COVID-19, only the severities of smell and taste loss were associated with depressed mood and anxiety. These results may raise the novel possibility of emotional disturbance as a CNS manifestation of COVID-19 given trans-olfactory tract penetration of the central nervous system (CNS) by coronaviruses. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3 Laryngoscope, 130:2520-2525, 2020.