Persisting olfactory dysfunction in post-COVID-19 is associated with gustatory impairment: Results from chemosensitive testing eight months after the acute infection

Constantin A Hintschich, René Fischer, Thomas Hummel, Jürgen J Wenzel, Christopher Bohr, Veronika Vielsmeier, Constantin A Hintschich, René Fischer, Thomas Hummel, Jürgen J Wenzel, Christopher Bohr, Veronika Vielsmeier

Abstract

Olfactory and gustatory disorders are prominent symptoms of acute COVID-19. Although both senses recover in many patients within weeks to months, persistency has been described in up to 60%. However up to now most reports on the course of chemosensitive disorders after COVID-19 are not based on psychophysical testing but only on subjective patients' ratings. In this study we assessed both olfaction and gustation using psychophysical tests eight months after COVID-19. Validated psychophysical testing revealed hyposmia in 18% and hypogeusia in even 32% of 303 included patients. This shows that olfactory and especially gustatory disorders have to be seen as important chronic symptoms post-COVID-19. The high prevalence of gustatory dysfunction indicates that gustatory function does not recover or might even deteriorate in the months following the acute infection.

Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1. Results of olfactory test.
Fig 1. Results of olfactory test.
Histogram of the NHANES Pocket Smell Test score as number of correctly identified smells, and percentage of the total study population. Normosmia is defined as six or more correct answers and hyposmia as five and less correct answers [18].
Fig 2. Results of gustatory test.
Fig 2. Results of gustatory test.
Histogram of the Taste Strips score as number of correctly identified strips, and percentage of the total study population. Normogeusia is defined as nine or more correct answers and hypogeusia as eight and less correct answers [21].

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