New onset of loss of smell or taste in household contacts of home-isolated SARS-CoV-2-positive subjects.
Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol
; 277(9): 2637-2640, 2020 Sep.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-343393
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE:
To estimate the prevalence of smell or taste impairment in household contacts of mildly symptomatic home-isolated SARS-CoV-2-positive patients.METHODS:
Cross-sectional study based on ad hoc questions.RESULTS:
Of 214 mildly symptomatic COVID-19 patients managed at home under self-isolation, 179 reported to have at least one household contact, with the total number of no study participants contacts being 296. Among 175 household contacts not tested for SARS-CoV-2 infection, 67 (38.3%) had SARS-CoV-2 compatible symptoms, 39 (22.3%) had loss of smell or taste with 7 (4.0%) having loss of smell or taste in the absence of other symptoms. The prevalence of smell or taste impairment was 1.5% in patients tested negative compared to 63.0% of those tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 (p < 0.001).CONCLUSION:
Smell or taste impairment are quite common in not-tested household contacts of mildly symptomatic home-isolated SARS-CoV-2-positive patients. This should be taken into account when estimating the burden of loss of sense of smell and taste during COVID-19 pandemic, and further highlights the value of loss of sense of smell and taste as a marker of infection.Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Taste
/
Taste Disorders
/
Dysgeusia
/
Olfaction Disorders
Type of study:
Diagnostic study
/
Observational study
/
Randomized controlled trials
Limits:
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
Language:
English
Journal:
Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol
Journal subject:
Otolaryngology
Year:
2020
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
S00405-020-06066-9
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