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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Int Arch Otorhinolaryngol 2021; 25(03): e334-e338
DOI: 10.1055/s-0041-1730303
Original Research
Special Article COVID-19

The Pattern of Anosmia in Non-hospitalized Patients in the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-sectional Study[*]

Hossam Elsherief 
1   Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Egypt
,
Mohmed Amer 
1   Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Egypt
,
Ahmed S. Abdel-Hamid
2   Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine, Kafrelsheikh University, Egypt
,
Mohamed E. El-Deeb 
2   Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine, Kafrelsheikh University, Egypt
,
Ahmed Negm
3   Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine, Misr University for Science and Technology, Egypt
,
Saad Elzayat
2   Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine, Kafrelsheikh University, Egypt
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Abstract

Introduction It is now evident that the loss of smell and/or taste may be consistent accompanying symptoms of the SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Objective To estimate the social behavior of recent anosmic non-hospitalized patients in the COVID-19 pandemic and to try to obtain the natural pattern in society in a cross-sectional study.

Methods A cross-sectional study conducted on 4,860 patients with anosmia complaints during the COVID-19 pandemic. Patients who needed a consultation for an anosmia complaint confirmed that they had completed the survey regarding age, gender, history of general diseases, history of nasal disease, associated COVID-19 symptoms, smoking, blood group, and risk factors.

Results A total of 4,860 patients with a mean age of 34.26 ± 11.91 years completed the study. There was a predominance of female patients: 3,150 (58.9%). Most patients (4,083 patients; 83%) developed sudden anosmia. In 85% (4131 patients) of the patients, a previous history of contact with anosmic patients was present. The most prevalent blood group was O (39%). In total, 67.4% of the patients underwent medical treatment. A history of unusual influenza attacks in December 2020 was reported by by 27% (1312 patients) of the patients.

Conclusion Despite large diversity of behaviors among anosmic patients in the COVID-19 pandemic, we can observe a great similarity in the pattern of anosmia in non-hospitalized patients, especially in the way it spreads, the predisposing factors, and the individual recovery.

Keywords

anosmia - COVID-19 - non-hospitalized patients - pandemic

Ethical Approval

All procedures involving human participants in the present study were performed in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional research editorial boards and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.


Consent

Formal consent was provided by the patients to share and publish their data in the present research.


Availability of Data and Materials

The datasets used and/or analyzed in the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.


Authors Contributions

H.E: methodology, idea formulation and reference collection; M.A: data collection, revision; A.A: data collection; M.D: final revision; A.N: data collection and revision; S.Z: review, writing and editing of the final draft.


* Work performed at the Otolaryngology Departments of the Faculties of Medicine of Tanta University, Kafrelsheikh, and Misr University for Science and Technology, Egypt.




Publication History

Received: 15 September 2020

Accepted: 07 January 2021

Article published online:
25 June 2021

© 2021. Fundação Otorrinolaringologia. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commecial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

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