Prevalence and Duration of Loss of Smell and Taste in  COVID-19 Patients

Background: The COVID-19 (Corona virus disease 2019) outbreak due to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is an infectious disease intimidating the world. The COVID-19 common symptoms include cough, fever, malaise, dyspnea, myalgia and gastrointestinal disturbances. The loss of smell and taste has also been reported among patients with COVID-19. Objective: The objective of the study is to assess the prevalence and duration of loss of smell and taste among COVID-19 patients. Material and Methods: It was a cross-sectional study in which 150 COVID-19 patients were included. The enrolled patients answered a questionnaire at 14th (or more) days after confirmed infection. The patients’ responses were received online on data form and entered into computer software SPSS version 22.0. Frequencies and percentages were calculated and data was presented in tables and figures. Results: Out of 150 patients, 48.0% were 20-30 years old and 56.0% were male. Majority (82.0%) of patients experienced loss of smell and taste during COVID-19. 57.0% patients had lost smell and taste sense completely. 52.0% patients experienced smell and taste issues after other symptoms of COVID-19. Among 43.9% patients, the duration of these issues was more than 10 days. There were 30.1% patients who used any medicine or local remedy for COVID-19 treatment. Conclusion: Study concluded that loss of smell and taste was prevalent among patients with COVID-19 while duration was more than 10 days for most of the patients.