COVID-19, Anosmia, and Allergies: Is There a Relationship? A Pediatric Perspective

Abstract

Background: Between June and July 2020, we evaluated children and adolescents concerning post-infection surveillance after a COVID-19 positivity during the lockdown. We aimed to assess whether the anamnestic presence of allergies could correlate with the presence of SARS-CoV-2 symptoms, and in particular with anosmia. Material and methods: For each patient, we collected anamnestic data, the presence of allergies documented by performing skin prick tests, and COVID-19 symptoms. Then, if over six years of age, each patient underwent an active anterior rhinomanometry. Results: A total of 296 patients were enrolled, of whom 105 (35.4%) reported allergies. Considering COVID-19 symptoms, 74 subjects (25%) presented an asymptomatic form, 222 (75%) reported symptoms, and anosmia recurred in 60 subjects (27.03%). A statistically significant relationship was found between allergies and symptomatic COVID-19 (p = 0.042), allergies, and anosmia (p = 0.05), and allergies and anosmia in males (p = 0.007). Moreover, anosmic patients presented a higher body mass index, older age, and a longer COVID-19 duration with statistical significance (p = 0.001, 0.001, 0.006, respectively). Conclusions: Allergic subjects seem to develop symptomatic COVID-19 more frequently and allergies appear to be a protective factor from anosmia’s onset in males.

COVID-19 Pediatric Follow-Up: Respiratory Long COVID-Associated Comorbidities and Lung Ultrasound Alterations in a Cohort of Italian Children

“…The most common presenting complaints are generalized symptoms like fever, cough, headache, diarrhea, and vomiting, and less frequently, anosmia and ageusia [3][4][5][6]. In Europe, throughout the pandemic years of 2021-2022, the hospitalization rate for COVID-19 among all children who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 ranged from 7.13 to 35.9 per 10,000 children [7][8][9]. While the initial stage of the illness often shows no or mild symptoms, certain children who have had COVID-19 might experience lingering effects even after recovery.…”

Characteristics of Chemosensory Perception in Long COVID and COVID Reinfection

“…Variably referred to as post COVID, post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infections (PASC) or long COVID, the condition is defined as symptoms that occur in individuals with a history of probable or confirmed CoV-2 infection that begins within three months of the onset of COVID and lasts at least 2 months and cannot be explained by an alternate diagnosis [5]. Amongst the myriad of symptoms that have been reported in confirmed and suspected cases of long COVID, the most frequent are fatigue, cognitive dysfunction, depression, chemosensory dysfunction, shortness of breath and cough [5][6][7]. Furthermore, age, sex, pre-infection comorbidities (diabetes, asthma) and severity of acute CoV-2 infection (symptomatic/asymptomatic, hospitalization) are confounding factors that could contribute to the development and/or persistence of heterogeneous post-COVID-19 conditions [2,8,9].…”