Olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions in patients with COVID-19 in Wuhan, China

Abstract

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is spreading all over the world. The main symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough, fatigue, and myalgia. However, there are few reports on olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions in patients with COVID-19. Our objective was to investigate the incidence of olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions in patients with COVID-19 infection in Wuhan, China. In this retrospective study, we collected 81 confirmed cases of COVID-19 from the Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University from February 2020 to March 2020, and analyzed the demographic characteristics, clinical manifestations (including olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions), laboratory findings, and comorbidities. In total, 81 confirmed COVID-19 patients were enrolled in this study (38 males and 43 females). The study showed that the most prevalent symptoms included cough, myalgia, and loss of appetite. On admission, 25 (30.9%) of all patients reported either olfactory dysfunction (OD) or gustatory dysfunction (GD), and 7 (8.6%) reported both OD and GD. Overall, 13.6% and 25.9% of all patients reported OD and GD, respectively. OD and GD were not associated with disease severity. Pearson correlation analysis identified some factors that are correlated with OD and GD, including headache or dizziness (r = 0.342, P = 0.002), dark urine (r = 0.256, P = 0.021), IgM titer (r = 0.305, P = 0.01), and diabetes (r = 0.275, P = 0.013). Multivariate adjusted logistic analysis showed that patients with headache or dizziness (OR = 7.382, 95%CI: 1.028-53.022) and diabetics (OR = 6.871, 95%CI: 1.096-43.086) were at higher risk of developing OD. In addition, patients with high IgM titers (OR = 1.006, 95%CI: 1.000-1.006) and diabetes (OR = 4.335, 95%CI: 1.098-17.287) were at high risk of developing GD. In 81.8% of the cases with OD and 28.6% of the cases with GD, the symptoms lasted for at least one month after discharge. In addition, 3.6% of inpatients without OD developed OD after discharge. These findings suggest that OD and GD are common in COVID-19. These symptoms appear early during the course of the disease and may last for one month. The incidence of OD and GD is related to neurological manifestations, diabetics, and IgM titers.