Persistent olfactory dysfunction is expected in patients of COVID-19. It will drive the demand for a general practitioner, otolaryngology, or neurology consultation in the next few months – evidence regarding recovery will be essential in counseling our patients. Researchers did this study to understand the patterns of smell recovery in 751 patients affected by the COVID‐19 outbreak.
This study was a prospective survey‐based data collection and telemedicine follow‐up.
Seven hundred fifty-one patients in total completed the study, of whom 477 were females and 274 males. The mean age of the patients was 41 ± 13 years. Six hundred twenty-one patients subjectively reported a total loss of smell and 130 a partial loss. After a mean follow‐up of 47 ± seven days from the first consultation, 277 patients still reported a persistent subjective loss of smell, 107 said they experienced partial recovery, and 367 reported complete recovery.
The study concluded through its findings that at this relatively early point in the pandemic, emotional patterns of recovery of olfactory dysfunction in COVID‐19 patients are valuable for our patients, hypothesis generation, and treatment development.
Reference: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ene.14440
