Transient Anosmia and dysgeusia in COVID-19 disease: a cross-sectional study

Objective: This study aims to explore the prevalence of anosmia and dysgeusia and their impact on COVID-19 patients. Design: This is a cross-sectional study. Patients diagnosed with COVID-19 between 1st October 2020 and 30th June 2021 were randomly selected from a national COVID-19 registry. The Anosmia Reporting Tool and a brief version of the questionnaire on olfactory disorders were used to measure the outcomes via telephone interviews. Data were analyzed using SPSS 27 statistics software. Results: A total of 405 COVID-19 adults were included in this study, 220 (54.3%) were males and 185 (45.8%) were females. The mean±SD age of participants was 38.2 ± 11.3 years. Alterations in the sense of smell and taste were reported by 206 (50.9%), and 195 (48.1%) of the patients respectively. Sex and nationality of participants were significantly associated with anosmia and dysgeusia (p<0.001) and (p-value=0.001) respectively. Among patients who experienced anosmia and dysgeusia, alterations in eating habits (64.2%), impact on mental wellbeing (38.9%), concerns that the alterations were permanent (35.4%), and physical implications and difficulty performing activities of daily living (34% ) were reported. Conclusion: Anosmia and dysgeusia are prevalent symptoms of COVID-19 disease, especially among females. Neuropsychological implications of COVID-19 in the acute infection phase and prognosis of anosmia and dysgeusia in COVID-19 are areas for further exploration.