Purpose
The aim of the present study was to estimate the 1 year prevalence and recovery rate of self-reported chemosensory dysfunction in a series of subjects with previous mild-to-moderate symptomatic COVID-19.
Methods
Prospective study based on the SNOT-22, item “sense of smell or taste” and additional outcomes.
Results
268/315 patients (85.1%) completing the survey at baseline also completed the follow-up interview. The 12 months prevalence of self-reported COVID-19 associated chemosensory dysfunction was 21.3% (95% CI 16.5–26.7%)
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Of the 187 patients who complained of COVID-19 associated chemosensory dysfunction at baseline, 130 (69.5%; 95% CI 62.4–76.0%) reported complete resolution of smell or taste impairment, 41 (21.9%) reported a decrease in the severity, and 16 (8.6%) reported the symptom was unchanged or worse 1 year after onset. The risk of persistence was higher for patients reporting a baseline SNOT-22 score ≥ 4 (OR = 3.32; 95% CI 1.32–8.36) as well as for those requiring ≥ 22 days for a negative swab (OR = 2.18; 95% CI 1.12–4.27).
Conclusion
A substantial proportion of patients with previous mild-to-moderate symptomatic COVID-19 characterized by new onset of chemosensory dysfunction still complained on altered sense of smell or taste 1 year after the onset.
We conducted a prospective study on mild-to-moderate symptomatic patients consecutively assessed between March 1 and March 31, 2020, who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on nasopharyngeal and throat swabs performed according to World Health Organization recommendation. An interdisciplinary task force of medical doctors and nurses was created in our region in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in order to monitor all isolated patients with PCRconfirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. The task force provided us with the names and telephone contacts of the homeisolated COVID-19 patients. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region
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