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Sudden olfactory loss as an early marker of COVID-19: a nationwide Italian survey
UMass Chan Affiliations
Department of NeurologyDocument Type
Journal ArticlePublication Date
2020-08-04Keywords
AnosmiaCOVID-19
Hyposmia
Nasal
Screening
Smell
Sudden olfactory loss
Taste
Diagnosis
Infectious Disease
Nervous System Diseases
Neurology
Otolaryngology
Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms
Sense Organs
Virus Diseases
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
PURPOSE: The presence of many asymptomatic COVID-19 cases may increase the risks of disease dissemination, mainly for physicians. There are numerous reports on the frequent findings of sudden anosmia or hyposmia, before or at the same time of the typical COVID-19 symptoms onset. The aim of this study was to verify the association of olfactory impairment and COVID-19, providing a basis for subsequent research in the field of COVID-19 clinical heterogeneity. METHODS: We developed a 15-item online questionnaire on "Sudden Olfactory Loss (SOL) and COVID-19" that was administered during March 2020 to Italian general practitioners registered to a social media group. RESULTS: One hundred and eighty responses were received. SOL was identified as a significant sign of infection in COVID-19 patients, mainly aged between 30 and 40 years, even in the absence of other symptoms. SOL was present as an initial symptom in 46.7% of subjects, and in 16.7%, it was the only symptom. Among the COVID-19 confirmed cases, SOL occurred as the only symptom in 19.2% of patients. CONCLUSION: SOL could represent a possible early symptom in otherwise asymptomatic COVID-19 subjects. Subjects affected by SOL should be considered as potential COVID-19 cases. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4.Source
Spadera L, Viola P, Pisani D, Scarpa A, Malanga D, Sorrentino G, Madini E, Laria C, Aragona T, Leopardi G, Maggiore G, Ciriolo M, Boccuto L, Pizzolato R, Abenavoli L, Cassandro C, Ralli M, Cassandro E, Chiarella G. Sudden olfactory loss as an early marker of COVID-19: a nationwide Italian survey. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2020 Aug 4:1–9. doi: 10.1007/s00405-020-06252-9. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 32749606; PMCID: PMC7399588. Link to article on publisher's site
DOI
10.1007/s00405-020-06252-9Permanent Link to this Item
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14038/27636PubMed ID
32749606Notes
Full author list omitted for brevity. For the full list of authors, see article.
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ae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1007/s00405-020-06252-9