Assessment of Olfactory Recovery After COVID-19: Cross-sectional Study

Overview

Journal Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol

Specialty Otorhinolaryngology

Date 2024 Apr 19

PMID 38641737

Authors

Ehab Abou Zaid

Ahmad Mohamed Eltelety

Khaled Omar Azooz

Gouda Ragab

Ahmed Amin Nassar

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate recovery patterns of olfactory dysfunction among recovered COVID-19 patients, both subjective and objective, and correlate this recovery to the severity of the disease.

Methods: The study recruited 200 patients and assigned them to two equal groups, one of them was a control group. The olfactory function of the study group was assessed via subjective and objective methods at baseline and then monthly for three months, with changes in smell function reported at each visit. These patients underwent chemosensory testing using the Sniffin' Sticks test and completed the validated Arabic version of the Questionnaire of Olfactory Disorders-Negative Statements (QOD-NS).

Results: Olfactory dysfunction occurred on the first day of COVID-19 symptoms in 37% of participants. Subjective reports suggested smell recovery in 55% after 3 months, but Sniffin' Sticks showed only 1% with normal function, indicating persistent deficits in others. This study revealed smell recovery for 93% of participants (median 14 days), with most (58%) recovering within 2 weeks. No significant links were found between demographics, COVID-smell loss timing, and recovery speed.

Conclusion: Three months after COVID-19, many patients perceive smell recovery, but objective tests reveal shockingly high rates of persistent dysfunction. Further follow-up with objective tests is vital to assess the true burden and potential long-term effects of smell loss.

References

Romero-Gameros C, Waizel-Haiat S, Mendoza-Zubieta V, Anaya-Dyck A, Lopez-Moreno M, Colin-Martinez T . Evaluation of predictive value of olfactory dysfunction, as a screening tool for COVID-19. Laryngoscope Investig Otolaryngol. 2020; 5(6):983-991. PMC: 7752039. DOI: 10.1002/lio2.482. View

Desai M, Oppenheimer J . The Importance of Considering Olfactory Dysfunction During the COVID-19 Pandemic and in Clinical Practice. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2020; 9(1):7-12. PMC: 7598761. DOI: 10.1016/j.jaip.2020.10.036. View

Chiesa-Estomba C, Lechien J, Radulesco T, Michel J, Sowerby L, Hopkins C . Patterns of smell recovery in 751 patients affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. Eur J Neurol. 2020; 27(11):2318-2321. PMC: 7405216. DOI: 10.1111/ene.14440. View

Hopkins C, Surda P, Whitehead E, Kumar B . Early recovery following new onset anosmia during the COVID-19 pandemic - an observational cohort study. J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2020; 49(1):26. PMC: 7196882. DOI: 10.1186/s40463-020-00423-8. View

Finlay J, Brann D, Hachem R, Jang D, Oliva A, Ko T . Persistent post-COVID-19 smell loss is associated with immune cell infiltration and altered gene expression in olfactory epithelium. Sci Transl Med. 2022; 14(676):eadd0484. PMC: 10317309. DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.add0484. View

Schepens E, Boek W, Boesveldt S, Stokroos R, Stegeman I, Kamalski D . One-year psychophysical evaluation of COVID-19-induced olfactory disorders: a prospective cohort study. BMC Med. 2023; 21(1):490. PMC: 10709885. DOI: 10.1186/s12916-023-03205-x. View

Vaira L, Hopkins C, Salzano G, Petrocelli M, Melis A, Cucurullo M . Olfactory and gustatory function impairment in COVID-19 patients: Italian objective multicenter-study. Head Neck. 2020; 42(7):1560-1569. PMC: 7280583. DOI: 10.1002/hed.26269. View

Klimek L, Hagemann J, Doge J, Freudelsperger L, Cuevas M, Klimek F . Olfactory and gustatory disorders in COVID-19. Allergo J Int. 2022; 31(7):243-250. PMC: 9208356. DOI: 10.1007/s40629-022-00216-7. View

Pellegrino R, Mainland J, Kelly C, Parker J, Hummel T . Prevalence and correlates of parosmia and phantosmia among smell disorders. Chem Senses. 2021; 46. PMC: 8633731. DOI: 10.1093/chemse/bjab046. View

10.

Le Bon S, Pisarski N, Verbeke J, Prunier L, Cavelier G, Thill M . Psychophysical evaluation of chemosensory functions 5 weeks after olfactory loss due to COVID-19: a prospective cohort study on 72 patients. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2020; 278(1):101-108. PMC: 7402072. DOI: 10.1007/s00405-020-06267-2. View

11.

Yan C, Faraji F, Prajapati D, Ostrander B, DeConde A . Self-reported olfactory loss associates with outpatient clinical course in COVID-19. Int Forum Allergy Rhinol. 2020; 10(7):821-831. PMC: 7264572. DOI: 10.1002/alr.22592. View

12.

Lee Y, Min P, Lee S, Kim S . Prevalence and Duration of Acute Loss of Smell or Taste in COVID-19 Patients. J Korean Med Sci. 2020; 35(18):e174. PMC: 7211515. DOI: 10.3346/jkms.2020.35.e174. View

13.

von Bartheld C, Hagen M, Butowt R . Prevalence of Chemosensory Dysfunction in COVID-19 Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Reveals Significant Ethnic Differences. ACS Chem Neurosci. 2020; 11(19):2944-2961. PMC: 7571048. DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.0c00460. View

14.

Wang Z, Yang B, Li Q, Wen L, Zhang R . Clinical Features of 69 Cases With Coronavirus Disease 2019 in Wuhan, China. Clin Infect Dis. 2020; 71(15):769-777. PMC: 7184452. DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciaa272. View

15.

Menzel S, Haehner A, Woosch D, Marquardt B, Ressel C, Draf J . Parosmia as a predictor of a better olfactory function in COVID-19: a multicentric longitudinal study for upper respiratory tract infections. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2022; 280(5):2331-2340. PMC: 9773662. DOI: 10.1007/s00405-022-07781-1. View

16.

Lechien J, Chiesa-Estomba C, De Siati D, Horoi M, Le Bon S, Rodriguez A . Olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions as a clinical presentation of mild-to-moderate forms of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19): a multicenter European study. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2020; 277(8):2251-2261. PMC: 7134551. DOI: 10.1007/s00405-020-05965-1. View

17.

Boscolo-Rizzo P, Guida F, Polesel J, Marcuzzo A, Antonucci P, Capriotti V . Self-reported smell and taste recovery in coronavirus disease 2019 patients: a one-year prospective study. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2021; 279(1):515-520. PMC: 8103884. DOI: 10.1007/s00405-021-06839-w. View

18.

Moein S, Hashemian S, Mansourafshar B, Khorram-Tousi A, Tabarsi P, Doty R . Smell dysfunction: a biomarker for COVID-19. Int Forum Allergy Rhinol. 2020; 10(8):944-950. PMC: 7262123. DOI: 10.1002/alr.22587. View

19.

Whitcroft K, Hummel T . Olfactory Dysfunction in COVID-19: Diagnosis and Management. JAMA. 2020; 323(24):2512-2514. DOI: 10.1001/jama.2020.8391. View

20.

Lechien J, Chiesa-Estomba C, Beckers E, Mustin V, Ducarme M, Journe F . Prevalence and 6-month recovery of olfactory dysfunction: a multicentre study of 1363 COVID-19 patients. J Intern Med. 2021; 290(2):451-461. DOI: 10.1111/joim.13209. View