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Recovery of olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions in coronavirus disease 2019 patients: a prospective cohort study

Part of: JLO Coronavirus Collection

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 February 2022

M H Taziki Balajelini ,
M A Vakili ,
A Rajabi Open the ORCID record for A Rajabi [Opens in a new window] ,
M Mohammadi ,
A Tabarraei  and
S M Hosseini Open the ORCID record for S M Hosseini [Opens in a new window]
M H Taziki Balajelini
Affiliation:
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, School of Medicine, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran
M A Vakili
Affiliation:
Department of Family and Community Medicine, School of Medicine, Golestan, University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran
A Rajabi*
Affiliation:
Health Management and Social Development Research Center, Faculty of Health, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran
M Mohammadi
Affiliation:
Golestan Research Centre of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran
A Tabarraei
Affiliation:
Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Infectious Diseases Research Center, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran
S M Hosseini*
Affiliation:
Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Neuroscience Research Center, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran
*
Authors for correspondence: Dr Abdolhalim Rajabi, Health Management and Social Development Research Center, Faculty of Health, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran E-mail: drrajabi.a@goums.ac.ir Fax: +98 017 3245 6105
Seyed Mehran Hosseini, MD. PhD., Associate Professor of Medical Physiology, Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Neuroscience Research Center Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Golestan, Iran E-mail: hosseini@goums.ac.ir Tel: 00989113736634
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Abstract

Objective

This study aimed to determine the association of some demographic and clinical factors with recovery from olfactory and gustatory dysfunction in coronavirus disease 2019 patients in Iran.

Methods

This prospective cohort study was performed on 242 coronavirus disease 2019 patients with olfactory and gustatory dysfunction. The time from onset to recovery for olfactory and gustatory dysfunction was estimated by the Kaplan–Meier estimator.

Results

After six months, 239 patients (98.8 per cent) had completely recovered from olfactory dysfunction. Olfactory and gustatory dysfunction symptoms resolved in 80.99 per cent and 83.56 per cent of the patients, respectively, within the first 30 days of symptom onset. Mean recovery time for olfactory dysfunction (35.07 ± 4.25 days) was significantly longer in those infected during the first epidemic wave compared with those infected during the second wave (21.65 ± 2.05 days) (p = 0.004). A similar pattern in recovery time was observed for cases of gustatory dysfunction (p = 0.005).

Conclusion

The recovery rate for coronavirus disease 2019 related olfactory and gustatory dysfunction is high within the first month of symptom onset.

Keywords

COVID-19SmellTaste DisordersRecovery of FunctionCohort Studies

Information

Type
Main Article
Information
The Journal of Laryngology & Otology , Volume 136 , Issue 4 , April 2022 , pp. 321 - 328
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of J.L.O. (1984) LIMITED

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Footnotes

Dr A Rajabi takes responsibility for the integrity of the content of the paper

*

These authors (A Rajabi and S M Hosseini) are contributed equally to this work.

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