Chronological sequence of Otorhinolaryngology manifestations in COVID 19: A study among health care workers

Abstract

Introduction:Being the first line of defence against the deadly pandemic of COVID 19, healthcare workers are always at an increased risk of acquiring the infection. Olfactory, gustatory, and upper respiratory tract symptoms constitute a significant proportion of the clinical presentation of COVID 19. But the chronology of the appearance of the symptoms is not well documented in the literature. Materials and methods:We present a prospective case series of seven healthcare workers of our institution who had contracted SARS-CoV2 infection during the second wave of the COVID 19 pandemic in India. We continued their follow-ups till six months after the onset of symptoms. We collected the data about their clinical presentation and described the chronology of the olfactory, gustatory and upper respiratory tract symptoms. Results: All the participants suffered from upper respiratory tract symptoms irrespective of their age, gender and vaccination status. Most of them suffered from olfactory and gustatory disturbances simultaneously that started within the first 4 days and reached maximum severity within the first 5 days. The recovery was complete within 15 days for gustatory symptoms and within three months for olfactory symptoms. Anosmia and ageusia were the most common olfactory and gustatory disorders respectively. Six of them suffered from sore throat and two participants had rhinorrhoea. They recovered uneventfully. Conclusion: Olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions may be the early presenting symptom of COVID 19 in the majority of the patients. But in absence of smell and taste dysfunctions, a sore throat may be the only presenting feature. A high degree of clinical suspicion is required to diagnose such cases. Keywords: - COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, Olfaction disorders, Anosmia, Ageusia, Health personnel