Assessment of taste and smell in patients affected byCOVID 19 infections

ABSTRACT

Background and Aim of the study Partial or complete ageusiaand anosmia have been observed as initial and sometimes uniquesymptoms of COVID-19 infection, especially in paucisymptomaticpatients. A single-center observational cohort study was conductedto evaluate taste and smell in a group of subjects admitted in thesub-intensive therapy of the COVID UNIT Hospital F. Miulli (Acquaviva delle Fonti, Bari, Italy) from 8 april to 11 may 2020.Materials e Methods: A questionnaire was administered to agroup of patients, with normal cognitive system. The laboratoryand clinical data contained in the medical records were studied.Results: 53 patients, 35 male and 18 female aged between 23and 82 replied to the questionnaire. 19 patients reported no loss,3 reported only loss of smell and 31 loss of taste;of these, 23also reported an associated loss of smell (9 partial loss and 14total loss). Patients with olfactory deficits complained of nasalcongestion and the need to breathe through the mouth in 23% ofcases and rhinorrhea in 15%. The loss of taste was rarely associated with a decrease in appetite (3%) and in 65% this deficit wastotal. The division of patients into 4 phenotype groups (based onthe severity of the clinical presentation) did not reveal significantdifferences between the groups.Conclusions: The data of our study, although referring to a reducedsample, show that olfactory and gustatory deficits are associatedwith SARS-CoV2 infection in a high percentage of patients. The phenotype did not show a role in the development of these symptoms.