Olfactory and Gustatory Dysfunction as an Early Identifier of COVID-19 in Adults and Children: An International Multicenter Study. (October 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Qiu, Chenghao; Cui, Chong; Hautefort, Charlotte; Haehner, Antje; Zhao, Jun; Yao, Qi; Zeng, Hui; Nisenbaum, Eric J.; Liu, Li; Zhao, Yu; Zhang, Di; Levine, Corinna G.; Cejas, Ivette; Dai, Qi; Zeng, Mei; Herman, Philippe; Jourdaine, Clement; de With, Katja; Draf, Julia; Chen, Bing; Jayaweera, Dushyantha T.; Denneny, James C.; Casiano, Roy; Yu, Hongmeng; Eshraghi, Adrien A.; Hummel, Thomas; Liu, Xuezhong; Shu, Yilai; Lu, Hongzhou
• Is Part Of: Otolaryngology--head and neck surgery. Volume 163:Number 4(2020)
• Page Start: 714
• Page End: 721
• Publication Date: 2020-10
• Subjects: COVID-19 -- SARS-CoV-2 -- anosmia -- dysgeusia -- COVID-19 screening -- olfactory dysfunction -- gustatory dysfunction; Head -- Surgery -- Periodicals; Neck -- Surgery -- Periodicals; Otolaryngology -- Periodicals; 617.51
• DOI: 10.1177/0194599820934376
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0194-5998

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the prevalence and characteristics of olfactory or gustatory dysfunction in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. Study Design: Multicenter case series. Setting: Five tertiary care hospitals (3 in China, 1 in France, 1 in Germany). Subjects and Methods: In total, 394 polymerase chain reaction (PCR)–confirmed COVID-19-positive patients were screened, and those with olfactory or gustatory dysfunction were included. Data including demographics, COVID-19 severity, patient outcome, and the incidence and degree of olfactory and/or gustatory dysfunction were collected and analyzed. The Questionnaire of Olfactory Disorders (QOD) and visual analog scale (VAS) were used to quantify olfactory and gustatory dysfunction, respectively. All subjects at 1 hospital (Shanghai) without subjective olfactory complaints underwent objective testing. Results: Of 394 screened subjects, 161 (41%) reported olfactory and/or gustatory dysfunction and were included. Incidence of olfactory and/or gustatory disorders in Chinese (n = 239), German (n = 39), and French (n = 116) cohorts was 32%, 69%, and 49%, respectively. The median age of included subjects was 39 years, 92 of 161 (57%) were male, and 10 of 161 (6%) were children. Of included subjects, 10% had only olfactory or gustatory symptoms, and 19% had olfactory and/or gustatory complaints prior to any other COVID-19 symptom. Of subjects with objective olfactory testing, 10 of 90 demonstrated abnormal chemosensory function despite reporting normal subjective olfaction. Forty-three percent (44/102) of subjects with follow-up showed symptomatic improvement in olfaction or gustation. Conclusions: Olfactory and/or gustatory disorders may represent early or isolated symptoms of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection. They may serve as a useful additional screening criterion, particularly for the identification of patients in the early stages of infection.