Coronavirus disease 2019 related parosmia: an exploratory survey of demographics and treatment strategies.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical features, therapeutic efficacy and symptom time course of post-coronavirus disease 2019 parosmia. METHODS: A 22-item online questionnaire was distributed to AbScent research group and Facebook coronavirus disease 2019 anosmia group adult members to assess clinical features, interventions and their subjective efficacy for parosmia. RESULTS: A total of 209 participants (86 per cent females) reported: smell loss on average 3 days after coronavirus symptoms, recovery 4 weeks later, and first parosmia symptoms 12 weeks post infection. Respondents reported 10 per cent body weight loss, and listed onion and garlic as significant parosmia triggers. Regarding quality of life, depression was the most cited item (54 per cent). Smell training was trialled by 74 per cent of participants, followed by nasal corticosteroid spray (49 per cent). Stellate ganglion block, trialled by 16 per cent of respondents, had the highest reported improvement (45 per cent), with 21 per cent reporting a sustained benefit - the highest rate amongst registered treatment options. CONCLUSION: Post-coronavirus parosmia has a significant impact and remains challenging to treat. Stellate ganglion block appears to be successful relative to other reported treatments. Further research into the pathophysiology, efficacy and mechanism of stellate ganglion block effect is warranted.

Shisha smoking: impact on cognitive functions impairments in healthy adults.

OBJECTIVE: Shisha smoking is becoming highly prevalent and is a predominant mode of tobacco use particularly amongst the young generation around the globe. This study aims to investigate whether or not shisha smoking impairs the cognitive functioning in adolescents. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We recruited 65 (32 control subjects and 33 shisha smokers) apparently healthy male volunteers. The first group consisted of 33 volunteer male shisha smoker subjects with mean age 24.45±2.93 (mean ± SD) years. The second group consists of 32 subjects with mean age 23.31±2.68 (mean ± SD) years who did not smoke shisha. Age, gender, weight, height, ethnicity, educational and socioeconomic status of a matched design was used to appraise the impact of shisha smoking on cognitive functions. The cognitive function's outcome variables were the response time (Attention Switching Task-AST), (Complex Reaction Time-CRT task) and the percentage of correct answers (Pattern Recognition Memory PRM-task). Cognitive functions were assessed by using Cambridge Neuropsychological Automated Battery (CANTAB). RESULTS: Shisha smokers showed significant decline in cognitive performances AST-Latency (p=0.03); AST-Congruent (p=0.05); AST-Incongruent (p=0.05); mean CRT (p=0.001); CRT % (p=0.01); PRM (p=0.024) compared to their matched control. CONCLUSIONS: Cognitive functions including attention, alertness, and memory were significantly impaired in healthy adult shisha smokers compared to non-shisha smokers.