Chronic rhinosinusitis was neither a risk nor a protective factor during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

There are various views in the literature regarding the influence of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) as acomorbidity on the occurrence of COVID-19 disease. Did CRS prevent or promote infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus2 (SARS-CoV-2) during the coronavirus pandemic? We conducted aretrospective case-control study with 252adult CRS patients who underwent sinus surgery between 2020 and 2023 and anon-CRS control group; both groups were comparable in terms of age and gender. The association between ahistory of COVID‑19 and CRS according to its phenotype and endotype was examined using cross tables and chi-square tests. We also analyzed self-reported and measured olfactory ability. Additionally, patients were asked about continuous preoperative use of inhaled corticosteroids. There was no association between CRS and COVID‑19. This applied both to CRS patients with or without nasal polyps (CRSwNP or CRSsNP) and to endotyping according to tissue eosinophilia. The majority of operated CRS patients were CRSwNP patients, predominantly male and younger compared to CRSsNP patients. CRSwNP presented eosinophilia 2.8times more frequently than CRSsNP. CRSsNP patients had better reported and measured olfactory ability compared to CRSwNP patients. The measured olfactory ability of the CRS patients with COVID‑19 did not differ from that of CRS patients without C‑19. Preoperative use of inhaled corticosteroids was more frequent among CRSwNP patients than CRSsNP patients. Chronic rhinosinusitis was neither arisk nor aprotective factor for COVID‑19.