Scientific Oral Presentations: COVID-19 and Olfaction
ARS020 - A longitudinal study of olfactory dysfunction and parosmia in mild COVID-19 cases
Thursday, April 28, 2022
1:14 PM – 1:20 PM CT
Location: Landmark C
Daniel Bacon, Mr; Princess Onuorah, Ms; Alexander Murr, Mr; Brian Thorp, MD, FARS; Charles Ebert, MD, FARS; Brent Senior, MD, FARS; Adam Kimple, MD, FARS
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Charlotte, North Carolina
Background: COVID-19 related olfactory dysfunction (OD) can persist long after recovery from acute infection. Few studies have investigated the long-term natural history of OD in COVID-19, and existing studies have only addressed decreased sense of smell; however, parosmias are becoming an increasingly prevalent long-term symptom.
Methods:We completed a longitudinal study on OD in individuals with mild cases of COVID-19. Patients completed a questionnaire and Brief Smell Identification Test (BSIT) 1 week after diagnosis and 1 year after diagnosis. A survey about parosmia was completed in addition to the BSIT and symptom questionnaire at the 1-year follow-up.
Results: We obtained questionnaire and objective olfactory testing information from 45 patients 1 week after diagnosis and 33 patients at 1-year follow-up. Persistent OD was present in 15.2% of our patients at 1 year. At 1-year follow up 66.7% (n=22) reported experiencing parosmia. Of the 22 patients with reported parosmia, 2 had delayed onset (>4 weeks after diagnosis). The mean onset of parosmia was 1.3 weeks (standard deviation – 1.9) after diagnosis. Eight patients (24.2%) reported that their parosmia was ongoing at the 1-year follow-up. Of the patients who reported resolution of parosmia, the mean duration of parosmia was 7.2 weeks (standard deviation – 7.3).
Discussion/Conclusion: Decreased sense of smell associated with COVID-19 has received significant attention in both the popular media and in the medical literature. Approximately 1 year after COVID-19 diagnosis, 15.2% of patients in a cohort with mild disease had persistent OD on the BSIT. The majority of patients at 1-year follow-up reported having experienced parosmia since their COVID-19 diagnosis.