Evaluation of Anosmia and Ageusia in COVID-19 Patients: An Observational Study

Abstract

Aim and objective: Chemosensitive disorders are being reported increasingly in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. An attempt to document the incidence of this variation in the perception of taste, smell, salivation, and burning sensation in the mouth as well as mouth ulcerations in patients infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Materials and methods: A single-institution short-term observational study was conducted on chemosensitive complaints like ageusia, anosmia, decreased salivation, oral ulcers, and burning sensation in the mouth, in patients diagnosed with COVID-19. Results: Among 201 patients, 25.9% of patients reported a loss of smell while 33.3% of patients reported alteration in taste. 27.9% of patients reported decreased salivation, while ulcer findings were only in 1.5% and burning sensation in 1% of the patients. Conclusion: Clinicians should suspect infection of SARS-CoV-2 in such patients, to avoid missing diagnosis or misdiagnosis of these patients which could lead to further transmission and spread of the disease. Clinical significance: Loss of smell and taste seems to be more common in COVID-19 patients as compared to other chemosensitive disorders like ulcers in the mouth or burning sensation or decreased salivation. © Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers.