Abstract
Abstract Introduction Coronavirus-Disease-2019 (COVID-19) can be heralded by anosmia as a major symptom in up to 60% of patients. In this study, we sought to describe the temporal and geospatial distribution of anosmia in internet search queries relative to COVID-19 case densities across the United States, and to characterize the quality of online resources people used for anosmia searches during the early stages of the pandemic. Methods We identified keywords to reflect searches relating to anosmia. Google Trends was used to monitor the geospatial and temporal distribution of anosmia-related search queries. Similar web technologies data were used to extract US website utilization for anosmia search queries from January to March 2020. COVID-19 positive results were determined from data reported by the CDC and health departments. Results As of April 17, 2020, New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut had the most anosmia-related search queries. In January and February 2020, search queries were at just 1.8% of the peak search volume on March 23, 2020. In March, searches for anosmia-related terms increased to 73,600, a 177% increase from February queries. The top websites resulting from queries in March were The New York Times (10.1%), CNN (9.0%), and The Washington Post (5.7%), with "other" websites accounting for 48.5% of searches. Conclusion States with high prevalence of COVID-19 showed significant increases in searches pertaining to anosmia during peak times of disease. Patients investigating their loss of smell have been routed to a variety of online resources, with significant risk of patient misinformation. The months following the onset of the pandemic are critical for the creation of accurate resources for their patients and the population as a whole.
Highlights
Coronavirus-Disease-2019 (COVID-19) can be heralded by anosmia as a major symptom in up to 60% of patients
As alternative presentations manifest on a near daily basis, clinicians and scientists alike continue to investigate the relationship between viral course and symptomatology to provide the best possible care for COVID-19 patients
Consistently low search volumes were observed during January and February 2020, around only 1.8% of the peak Google Search Volume Index (GSVI) value in March
Summary
Coronavirus-Disease-2019 (COVID-19) can be heralded by anosmia as a major symptom in up to 60% of patients. We sought to describe the temporal and geospatial distribution of anosmia in internet search queries relative to COVID-19 case densities across the United States, and to characterize the quality of online resources people used for anosmia searches during the early stages of the pandemic. Coronavirus-disease-2019 (COVID-19), caused by SarsCoV-2 strain of coronavirus has quickly spread across the world and reached global pandemic status per the World Health Organization in March 2020. As alternative presentations manifest on a near daily basis, clinicians and scientists alike continue to investigate the relationship between viral course and symptomatology to provide the best possible care for COVID-19 patients
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