Patterns of self-reported recovery from chemosensory dysfunction following SARS-CoV-2 infection: insights after 1 year of the pandemic

Abstract

Background: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19), due to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), causes chemosensory dysfunction. Aims/objectives: To determine the characteristics of chemosensory dysfunction and to identify factors associated with chemosensory complete recovery and time to recovery. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study included all patients presenting with chemosensory dysfunction and confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection from May to August 2020 who underwent telemedicine follow-up after 1 year to assess their chemosensory recovery. Results: A total of 372 patients were included, of which 53.8% were male. The mean age ± SD was 37.45 ± 13.44. The majority experienced combined (olfactory and gustatory) dysfunction (85.7%), and 315 patients (84.7%) had complete loss of chemosensory function. The independent predictors associated with a low likelihood of complete recovery were parosmia (aOR 0.16, p