THE STUDY OF CHEMOSENSORY DYSFUNCTION IN PATIENTS AFTER COVID-19

Abstract

Introduction. Olfactory disorders are observed in infectious and non-infectious diseases, but caused a new wave of attention as one of the fi rst and often the only symptoms of COVID-19 at the beginning of the pandemic. Aim. To evaluate the prevalence, degree, duration of olfactory and taste disorders in patients with COVID-19, their relationship with the severity of the disease and the impact on the quality of life. Materials and methods. 699 patients after COVID-19 were interviewed using the electronic questionnaire, which was developed based on the available data and our observations about the most common symptoms in COVID-19 patients. The questionnaire consisted of 35 main questions on the topic of the study organized in 3 sections. Response forms were closed, semi-closed or open. Two questions on screening for mood disorders were taken from the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ). Patients were asked to rate their sense of smell and taste on a 10-point visual analog scale (VAS). Results. In most cases, olfactory and taste impairment occurred immediately after the appearance of other symptoms reaching a peak on 3-5th days of illness and did not improve after clinical recovery. Patients experienced varying degrees of hypo-, par- and cacosmia, subsequently even changing their food and behavioral habits (such as reducing or quitting smoking). Conclusions. The recovery of smell and taste had a clear direct correlation. More than half of the patients needed an in-depth assessment of their mental health most likely due to the combination of factors, including the impairment of smell and taste.