Evolution of Altered Sense of Smell or Taste in Patients with Mildly Symptomatic COVID-19

Paolo Boscolo-Rizzo; Daniele Borsetto; Cristoforo Fabbris; Giacomo Spinato; Daniele Frezza; Anna Menegaldo; Francesca Mularoni; Piergiorgio Gaudioso; Diego Cazzador; Silvia Marciani; Samuele Frasconi; Maria Ferraro; Cecilia Berro; Chiara Varago; Piero Nicolai; Giancarlo Tirelli; Maria Cristina Da Mosto; Rupert Obholzer; Roberto Rigoli; Jerry Polesel; Claire Hopkins

doi:10.1001/jamaoto.2020.1379

Evolution of Altered Sense of Smell or Taste in Patients with Mildly Symptomatic COVID-19

Paolo Boscolo-Rizzo, Daniele Borsetto^*, Cristoforo Fabbris, Giacomo Spinato, Daniele Frezza, Anna Menegaldo, Francesca Mularoni, Piergiorgio Gaudioso, Diego Cazzador, Silvia Marciani, Samuele Frasconi, Maria Ferraro, Cecilia Berro, Chiara Varago, Piero Nicolai, Giancarlo Tirelli, Maria Cristina Da Mosto, Rupert Obholzer, Roberto Rigoli, Jerry PoleselClaire Hopkins

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

158 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Importance: An altered sense of smell and taste has been reported to be associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). To understand the evolution of these symptoms during the course of the disease is important to identify patients with persistent loss of smell or taste and estimate the impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection on the burden of olfactory and gustative dysfunctions. Objective: To evaluate the evolution of the loss of sense of smell and taste in a case series of mildly symptomatic patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cross-sectional survey-based study included 202 mildly symptomatic adults (≥18 years) consecutively assessed at Treviso Regional Hospital, Italy, between March 19 and March 22, 2020, who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA by polymerase chain reaction on nasopharyngeal and throat swabs. Main Outcomes and Measures: Prevalence of altered sense of smell and taste at follow-up and their variation from baseline. Results: Of 202 patients completing the survey at baseline, 187 (92.6%) also completed the follow-up survey (103 [55.1%] women; median age, 56 years). The evaluation of the evolution of altered sense of smell or taste in the 113 patients reporting sudden onset of these symptoms at baseline showed that 55 patients (48.7%; 95% CI, 39.2-58.3) reported complete resolution of smell or taste impairment, 46 (40.7%; 95% CI, 31.6-50.4) reported an improvement in the severity, and only 12 (10.6%; 95% CI, 5.6-17.8) reported the symptom was unchanged or worse. Persistent loss of smell or taste was not associated with persistent SARS-CoV-2 infection. Conclusions and Relevance: At 4 weeks from the onset, 89% of the SARS-CoV-2-positive mildly symptomatic patients who had had a sudden onset of altered sense of smell or taste experienced a complete resolution or improvement of these symptoms. Persistent loss of smell or taste was not associated with persistent SARS-CoV-2 infection..

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1-5
Number of pages	5
Journal	JAMA Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery
Volume	146
Issue number	8
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1001/jamaoto.2020.1379
Publication status	Published - Aug 2020

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Boscolo-Rizzo, P., Borsetto, D., Fabbris, C., Spinato, G., Frezza, D., Menegaldo, A., Mularoni, F., Gaudioso, P., Cazzador, D., Marciani, S., Frasconi, S., Ferraro, M., Berro, C., Varago, C., Nicolai, P., Tirelli, G., Da Mosto, M. C., Obholzer, R., Rigoli, R., ... Hopkins, C. (2020). Evolution of Altered Sense of Smell or Taste in Patients with Mildly Symptomatic COVID-19. JAMA Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, 146(8), 1-5. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamaoto.2020.1379

@article{1356b790ca11490884941fe280a7aa6b,

title = "Evolution of Altered Sense of Smell or Taste in Patients with Mildly Symptomatic COVID-19",

abstract = "Importance: An altered sense of smell and taste has been reported to be associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). To understand the evolution of these symptoms during the course of the disease is important to identify patients with persistent loss of smell or taste and estimate the impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection on the burden of olfactory and gustative dysfunctions. Objective: To evaluate the evolution of the loss of sense of smell and taste in a case series of mildly symptomatic patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cross-sectional survey-based study included 202 mildly symptomatic adults (≥18 years) consecutively assessed at Treviso Regional Hospital, Italy, between March 19 and March 22, 2020, who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA by polymerase chain reaction on nasopharyngeal and throat swabs. Main Outcomes and Measures: Prevalence of altered sense of smell and taste at follow-up and their variation from baseline. Results: Of 202 patients completing the survey at baseline, 187 (92.6%) also completed the follow-up survey (103 [55.1%] women; median age, 56 years). The evaluation of the evolution of altered sense of smell or taste in the 113 patients reporting sudden onset of these symptoms at baseline showed that 55 patients (48.7%; 95% CI, 39.2-58.3) reported complete resolution of smell or taste impairment, 46 (40.7%; 95% CI, 31.6-50.4) reported an improvement in the severity, and only 12 (10.6%; 95% CI, 5.6-17.8) reported the symptom was unchanged or worse. Persistent loss of smell or taste was not associated with persistent SARS-CoV-2 infection. Conclusions and Relevance: At 4 weeks from the onset, 89% of the SARS-CoV-2-positive mildly symptomatic patients who had had a sudden onset of altered sense of smell or taste experienced a complete resolution or improvement of these symptoms. Persistent loss of smell or taste was not associated with persistent SARS-CoV-2 infection..",

author = "Paolo Boscolo-Rizzo and Daniele Borsetto and Cristoforo Fabbris and Giacomo Spinato and Daniele Frezza and Anna Menegaldo and Francesca Mularoni and Piergiorgio Gaudioso and Diego Cazzador and Silvia Marciani and Samuele Frasconi and Maria Ferraro and Cecilia Berro and Chiara Varago and Piero Nicolai and Giancarlo Tirelli and {Da Mosto}, {Maria Cristina} and Rupert Obholzer and Roberto Rigoli and Jerry Polesel and Claire Hopkins",

year = "2020",

month = aug,

doi = "10.1001/jamaoto.2020.1379",

language = "English",

volume = "146",

pages = "1--5",

journal = "JAMA Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery",

issn = "2168-6181",

publisher = "American Medical Association",

number = "8",

}

Boscolo-Rizzo, P, Borsetto, D, Fabbris, C, Spinato, G, Frezza, D, Menegaldo, A, Mularoni, F, Gaudioso, P, Cazzador, D, Marciani, S, Frasconi, S, Ferraro, M, Berro, C, Varago, C, Nicolai, P, Tirelli, G, Da Mosto, MC, Obholzer, R, Rigoli, R, Polesel, J & Hopkins, C 2020, 'Evolution of Altered Sense of Smell or Taste in Patients with Mildly Symptomatic COVID-19', JAMA Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, vol. 146, no. 8, pp. 1-5. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamaoto.2020.1379

TY - JOUR

T1 - Evolution of Altered Sense of Smell or Taste in Patients with Mildly Symptomatic COVID-19

AU - Boscolo-Rizzo, Paolo

AU - Borsetto, Daniele

AU - Fabbris, Cristoforo

AU - Spinato, Giacomo

AU - Frezza, Daniele

AU - Menegaldo, Anna

AU - Mularoni, Francesca

AU - Gaudioso, Piergiorgio

AU - Cazzador, Diego

AU - Marciani, Silvia

AU - Frasconi, Samuele

AU - Ferraro, Maria

AU - Berro, Cecilia

AU - Varago, Chiara

AU - Nicolai, Piero

AU - Tirelli, Giancarlo

AU - Da Mosto, Maria Cristina

AU - Obholzer, Rupert

AU - Rigoli, Roberto

AU - Polesel, Jerry

AU - Hopkins, Claire

PY - 2020/8

Y1 - 2020/8

N2 - Importance: An altered sense of smell and taste has been reported to be associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). To understand the evolution of these symptoms during the course of the disease is important to identify patients with persistent loss of smell or taste and estimate the impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection on the burden of olfactory and gustative dysfunctions. Objective: To evaluate the evolution of the loss of sense of smell and taste in a case series of mildly symptomatic patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cross-sectional survey-based study included 202 mildly symptomatic adults (≥18 years) consecutively assessed at Treviso Regional Hospital, Italy, between March 19 and March 22, 2020, who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA by polymerase chain reaction on nasopharyngeal and throat swabs. Main Outcomes and Measures: Prevalence of altered sense of smell and taste at follow-up and their variation from baseline. Results: Of 202 patients completing the survey at baseline, 187 (92.6%) also completed the follow-up survey (103 [55.1%] women; median age, 56 years). The evaluation of the evolution of altered sense of smell or taste in the 113 patients reporting sudden onset of these symptoms at baseline showed that 55 patients (48.7%; 95% CI, 39.2-58.3) reported complete resolution of smell or taste impairment, 46 (40.7%; 95% CI, 31.6-50.4) reported an improvement in the severity, and only 12 (10.6%; 95% CI, 5.6-17.8) reported the symptom was unchanged or worse. Persistent loss of smell or taste was not associated with persistent SARS-CoV-2 infection. Conclusions and Relevance: At 4 weeks from the onset, 89% of the SARS-CoV-2-positive mildly symptomatic patients who had had a sudden onset of altered sense of smell or taste experienced a complete resolution or improvement of these symptoms. Persistent loss of smell or taste was not associated with persistent SARS-CoV-2 infection..

AB - Importance: An altered sense of smell and taste has been reported to be associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). To understand the evolution of these symptoms during the course of the disease is important to identify patients with persistent loss of smell or taste and estimate the impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection on the burden of olfactory and gustative dysfunctions. Objective: To evaluate the evolution of the loss of sense of smell and taste in a case series of mildly symptomatic patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cross-sectional survey-based study included 202 mildly symptomatic adults (≥18 years) consecutively assessed at Treviso Regional Hospital, Italy, between March 19 and March 22, 2020, who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA by polymerase chain reaction on nasopharyngeal and throat swabs. Main Outcomes and Measures: Prevalence of altered sense of smell and taste at follow-up and their variation from baseline. Results: Of 202 patients completing the survey at baseline, 187 (92.6%) also completed the follow-up survey (103 [55.1%] women; median age, 56 years). The evaluation of the evolution of altered sense of smell or taste in the 113 patients reporting sudden onset of these symptoms at baseline showed that 55 patients (48.7%; 95% CI, 39.2-58.3) reported complete resolution of smell or taste impairment, 46 (40.7%; 95% CI, 31.6-50.4) reported an improvement in the severity, and only 12 (10.6%; 95% CI, 5.6-17.8) reported the symptom was unchanged or worse. Persistent loss of smell or taste was not associated with persistent SARS-CoV-2 infection. Conclusions and Relevance: At 4 weeks from the onset, 89% of the SARS-CoV-2-positive mildly symptomatic patients who had had a sudden onset of altered sense of smell or taste experienced a complete resolution or improvement of these symptoms. Persistent loss of smell or taste was not associated with persistent SARS-CoV-2 infection..

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U2 - 10.1001/jamaoto.2020.1379

DO - 10.1001/jamaoto.2020.1379

M3 - Article

C2 - 32614442

AN - SCOPUS:85088372305

SN - 2168-6181

VL - 146

SP - 1

EP - 5

JO - JAMA Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery

JF - JAMA Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery

IS - 8

ER -

Evolution of Altered Sense of Smell or Taste in Patients with Mildly Symptomatic COVID-19

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