Abstract

Smell and Taste Dysfunctions in Patients with Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Infection in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: An Analytical Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction: Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) is the main primary health issue of our time. Smell and taste loss are hallmarks of COVID-19 infection. A complete understanding of the disease and its features has yet to be investigated. Here, we aimed to estimate the prevalence and patterns of smell and taste loss among COVID-19 patients. Methods: This was a multi-center, analytical, cross-sectional study conducted in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that utilized the COVID-19 anosmia (loss of sense of smell) reporting tool developed by the American Academy of Otolaryngology- Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS). Results: The loss of smell, taste, or both among COVID-19 patients was 56.6% with the majority (74.9%) experiencing both smell and taste loss. The median duration from dysfunction to recovery is ten days (IQR: 7 days). Gender and nationality showed significant association with smell/taste loss during the COVID-19 course (p=0.011 and 0.004, respectively). In addition, diabetes mellitus and hypertension showed significant association with smell/taste loss (p=0.038 and 0.012, respectively). Advanced age was a significant predictor of smell/taste loss (Exp(B)=1.042, CI: 1.023-1.061). Conclusions: Loss of smell/taste among COVID-19 patients was present in more than half of the samples. This symptom of concern was significantly associated with demographic characteristics and chronic diseases. Further studies are needed to understand the well-characterized symptoms of COVID-19 infection and assess early markers of disease prevalence and progression as well as establish the best preventive measures.

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