How common are taste and smell abnormalities in COVID-19? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Olfactory and gustatory dysfunction (OGD) are important early clinical symptoms of COVID-19. We aim to calculate the pooled prevalence of these symptoms and discuss the likely implications on clinical practice such as their use as screening tools and potential prognosis indicators.

Methods

Using a combination of keywords and medical subject headings, we searched for observational studies in the following five databases: Medline/PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. Two authors independently screened and selected the final articles according to the inclusion criteria. Two investigators independently assessed the risk of bias in individual studies using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Heterogeneity and publication bias were also assessed.

SUBMITTER: Ahmad S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8592522 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature