Olfactory and Gustatory Dysfunction as an Early Identifier of COVID-19 in Adults and Children: An International Multicenter Study

Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2020 Oct;163(4):714-721. doi: 10.1177/0194599820934376. Epub 2020 Jun 16.

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the prevalence and characteristics of olfactory or gustatory dysfunction in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients.

Study design: Multicenter case series.

Setting: Five tertiary care hospitals (3 in China, 1 in France, 1 in Germany).

Subjects and methods: In total, 394 polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-confirmed COVID-19-positive patients were screened, and those with olfactory or gustatory dysfunction were included. Data including demographics, COVID-19 severity, patient outcome, and the incidence and degree of olfactory and/or gustatory dysfunction were collected and analyzed. The Questionnaire of Olfactory Disorders (QOD) and visual analog scale (VAS) were used to quantify olfactory and gustatory dysfunction, respectively. All subjects at 1 hospital (Shanghai) without subjective olfactory complaints underwent objective testing.

Results: Of 394 screened subjects, 161 (41%) reported olfactory and/or gustatory dysfunction and were included. Incidence of olfactory and/or gustatory disorders in Chinese (n = 239), German (n = 39), and French (n = 116) cohorts was 32%, 69%, and 49%, respectively. The median age of included subjects was 39 years, 92 of 161 (57%) were male, and 10 of 161 (6%) were children. Of included subjects, 10% had only olfactory or gustatory symptoms, and 19% had olfactory and/or gustatory complaints prior to any other COVID-19 symptom. Of subjects with objective olfactory testing, 10 of 90 demonstrated abnormal chemosensory function despite reporting normal subjective olfaction. Forty-three percent (44/102) of subjects with follow-up showed symptomatic improvement in olfaction or gustation.

Conclusions: Olfactory and/or gustatory disorders may represent early or isolated symptoms of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection. They may serve as a useful additional screening criterion, particularly for the identification of patients in the early stages of infection.

Keywords: COVID-19; COVID-19 screening; SARS-CoV-2; anosmia; dysgeusia; gustatory dysfunction; olfactory dysfunction.

Publication types

  • Multicenter Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Betacoronavirus*
  • COVID-19
  • Child
  • China / epidemiology
  • Coronavirus Infections / complications*
  • Coronavirus Infections / diagnosis
  • Coronavirus Infections / epidemiology
  • Early Diagnosis*
  • Female
  • France / epidemiology
  • Germany / epidemiology
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Olfaction Disorders / epidemiology
  • Olfaction Disorders / etiology*
  • Pandemics
  • Pneumonia, Viral / complications*
  • Pneumonia, Viral / diagnosis
  • Pneumonia, Viral / epidemiology
  • Prevalence
  • Retrospective Studies
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Smell / physiology*
  • Taste Disorders / epidemiology
  • Taste Disorders / etiology*
  • Young Adult