Journal Article

Remote psychophysical evaluation of olfactory and gustatory functions in early-stage coronavirus disease 2019 patients: the Bologna experience of 300 cases

Pandolfi, P, Salzano, F A, Salzano, G, Vaira, L A, De Riu, G, Ruggiero, F, Lechien, J R, Baietti, A M, Saussez, S, Petrocelli, M

2020

Overview

An objective evaluation of coronavirus disease 2019 in the first days of infection is almost impossible, as affected individuals are generally in home quarantine, and there is limited accessibility for the operator who should perform the test. To overcome this limitation, a recently validated psychophysical self-administered test was used, which can be performed remotely in the assessment of early-stage coronavirus disease 2019 patients. Olfactory and gustatory functions were objectively assessed in 300 patients in the first 7 days from coronavirus disease 2019 symptom onset. Seventy per cent of the patients presented olfactory and/or gustatory disorders. The dysfunctions detected were mainly complete anosmia (47 per cent) or ageusia (38 per cent). A significant correlation was found between taste dysfunction and female gender (odds ratio = 1.936, p = 0.014) and fever (odds ratio = 2.132, p = 0.003). The psychophysical evaluation protocol proposed is an effective tool for the fast and objective evaluation of patients in the early stages of coronavirus disease 2019. Chemosensitive disorders have been confirmed to be frequent and early symptoms of the coronavirus infection, and, in a significant number of cases, they are the first or only manifestation of coronavirus disease 2019.

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Subject: Acetic Acid / Adult / Alcohol / Anosmia / Asymptomatic / Betacoronavirus / Chocolate / Coffee / Coronaviridae / Coronavirus Infections - physiopathology / Coronaviruses / COVID-19 / Diagnostic Self Evaluation / Diagnostic Techniques and Procedures / Drug Combinations / Female / Fever / Fruit and Vegetable Juices / Gender / Household Products / Humans / Italy / Logistic Models / Main / Main Articles / Male / Middle Aged / Mouthwashes / Olfaction disorders / Olfaction Disorders - diagnosis / Olfaction Disorders - physiopathology / Pandemics / Patients / Plant Extracts / Pneumonia, Viral - physiopathology / Psychophysics / Quarantine / SARS-CoV-2 / Self Report / Sensory Thresholds / Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 / Sex Factors / Soaps / Spices / Standard deviation / Studies / Surveillance / Taste disorders / Taste Disorders - diagnosis / Taste Disorders - physiopathology / Taste Threshold / Telemedicine / Terpenes / Toothpastes / Wine