Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related smell and taste impairment with widespread diffusion of severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron variant.
[en] [en] BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of self-reported chemosensory dysfunction in a study cohort of subjects who developed a mild-to-moderate coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the period from January 17, 2022, to February 4, 2022 (Omicron proxy period) and compared that with a historical series of patients testing positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection between March and April, 2020 (comparator period).
METHODS: Prospective study based on the 22-item Sino-Nasal Outcome Tool (SNOT-22), item "sense of smell or taste" and additional outcomes.
RESULTS: Patients' characteristics and clinical presentations of COVID-19 were evaluated and compared in 779 patients, 338 of the study cohort and 441 of the historical series. The prevalence of self-reported chemosensory dysfunction during the proxy Omicron period (32.5%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 27.6-37.8) was significantly lower from that during the comparator period (66.9%; 95% CI, 62.3-71.3) (p < 0.001). Nearly one-quarter of patients (24.6%; 95% CI, 20.1-29.5) reported an altered sense of smell during the proxy Omicron period compared to 62.6% (95% CI, 57.9-67.1) during the comparator period (p < 0.001). Similarly, the prevalence of an altered sense of taste dropped to 26.9% (95% CI, 22.3-32.0) during the proxy Omicron period from 57.4% (95% CI, 52.6-62.0) during the comparator period (p < 0.001). The severity of chemosensory dysfunction was lower in the proxy Omicron period compared to the comparator period (p < 0.001).
CONCLUSION: The prevalence and the severity of COVID-19-associated smell and taste dysfunction has dropped significantly with the advent of the Omicron variant but it still remains above 30%.
Disciplines :
Otolaryngology
Author, co-author :
Boscolo-Rizzo, Paolo; Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, Section of Otolaryngology, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
Tirelli, Giancarlo; Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, Section of Otolaryngology, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
Meloni, Pierluigi; Department of Medical, Surgical and Experimental Sciences, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
Hopkins, Claire; Guy's and St Thomas' Hospitals, London, UK
Madeddu, Giordano; Department of Medical, Surgical and Experimental Sciences, Infectious Disease Unit, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
De Vito, Andrea; Department of Medical, Surgical and Experimental Sciences, Infectious Disease Unit, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
Gardenal, Nicoletta; Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, Section of Otolaryngology, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
Valentinotti, Romina; Department of Prevention, Section of Hygiene and Public Health, Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Giuliano Isontina (ASUGI), Trieste, Italy
Tofanelli, Margherita; Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, Section of Otolaryngology, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
Borsetto, Daniele; Department of ENT, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals, Cambridge, UK
Lechien, Jérome ; Université de Mons - UMONS > Faculté de Psychologie et des Sciences de l'Education > Service de Métrologie et Sciences du langage
Polesel, Jerry; Unit of Cancer Epidemiology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Aviano, Italy
De Riu, Giacomo; Department of Medical, Surgical and Experimental Sciences, Maxillofacial Surgery Operative Unit, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
Vaira, Luigi Angelo; Department of Medical, Surgical and Experimental Sciences, Maxillofacial Surgery Operative Unit, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy ; PhD School of Biomedical Sciences, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related smell and taste impairment with widespread diffusion of severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron variant.
R350 - Institut de recherche en sciences et technologies du langage R550 - Institut des Sciences et Technologies de la Santé
Funding text :
We sincerely thank all patients who participated in this study. We also thank Emilia Cancellieri, MD, Andrea D'Alessandro, MD, Rebecca De Colle, MD, Riccardo Marzolino, MD, Anna Mascherin, MD, Chiara Lazzarin, MD, and Enrico Zanelli, MD, for helping in the collection of patient data. Open Access Funding provided by Universita degli Studi di Trieste within the CRUI-CARE Agreement. [Correction added on 16 May 2022, after first online publication: CRUI funding statement has been added.]
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