Self-reported loss of smell without nasal obstruction to identify COVID-19. The multicenter Coranosmia cohort study.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

To determine the frequency of SARS-CoV-2 positive samples in a subset of patients consulting for primarily isolated acute (<7 days) loss of smell and to assess the diagnostic accuracy of olfactory/gustatory dysfunction for COVID-19 diagnosis in the overall population tested for COVID-19 in the same period.

Methods

Prospective multicentric cohort study in four olfactory ENT units and a screening center for COVID-19.

Results

i) Among a subset of 55 patients consulting for primarily recent loss of smell, we found that 51 (92.7%) had a COVID-19 positive test (median viral load of 28.8 cycle threshold). Loss of smell was mostly total (anosmia), rarely associated with nasal obstruction but associated with a taste disorder in 80%. Olfactory dysfunction occurred su

SUBMITTER: Salmon Ceron D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7338860 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature