World journal of otorhinolaryngology - head and neck surgery
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World J Otorhinolaryngol Head Neck Surg · Feb 2021
Objective screening for olfactory and gustatory dysfunction during the COVID-19 pandemic: a prospective study in healthcare workers using self-administered testing.
Smell and taste loss are highly prevalent symptoms in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), although few studies have employed objective measures to quantify these symptoms, especially dysgeusia. Reports of unrecognized anosmia in COVID-19 patients suggests that self-reported measures are insufficient for capturing patients with chemosensory dysfunction. ⋯ Healthcare workers with recent SARS-CoV-2 infection had reduced olfaction and normal gustation on self-administered objective testing compared to those without infection. Rates of infection and chemosensory symptoms in our cohort of healthcare workers reflect those of the general public.