%0 Journal Article
%T The Prognostic Value of Olfactory Dysfunction in Patients with COVID-19: The COVIDORA Study.
%A Hamel AL
%A Delbos L
%A Natella PA
%A Radulesco T
%A Alexandru M
%A Bartaire E
%A Bartier S
%A Benoite G
%A Bequignon E
%A Castillo L
%A Canouï-Poitrine F
%A Carsuzaa F
%A Corré A
%A Coste A
%A Couloigner V
%A Daveau C
%A De Boissieu P
%A De Bonnecaze G
%A De Gabory L
%A Debry C
%A Deraedt S
%A Dufour X
%A El Bakkouri W
%A Gilain L
%A Hans S
%A Hautefort C
%A Hermann R
%A Jankowski R
%A La Croix C
%A Lecanu JB
%A Malard O
%A Michel J
%A Nguyen Y
%A Nevoux J
%A Papon JF
%A Patron V
%A Prigent M
%A Pruliere-Escabasse V
%A Renaud M
%A Rumeau C
%A Salmon D
%A Saroul N
%A Serrano E
%A Nhung Tran Khai C
%A Tringali S
%A Truy E
%A Vandersteen C
%A Verillaud B
%A Veil R
%A Fieux M
%J Life (Basel)
%V 14
%N 3
%D 2024 Feb 22
%M 38541618
%F 3.251
%R 10.3390/life14030293
%X <B>BACKGROUND: </B>Among all studies describing COVID-19 clinical features during the first wave of the pandemic, only a few retrospective studies have assessed the correlation between olfac-tory dysfunction (OD) and the evolution of disease severity. The main aim was to assess whether OD is a predictive factor of COVID-19 severity based on the patient's medical management (outpa-tient care, standard hospital admission, and ICU admission).<BR><B>METHODS: </B>A national, prospective, mul-ticenter cohort study was conducted in 20 public hospitals and a public center for COVID-19 screen-ing. During the first wave of the pandemic, from 6 April to 11 May 2020, all patients tested positive for COVID-19 confirmed by RT-PCR underwent two follow-up ENT consultations within 10 days of symptom onset. The main outcome measures were the evolution of medical management (out-patient care, standard hospital admission, and ICU admission) at diagnosis and along the clinical course of COVID-19 disease.<BR><B>RESULTS: </B>Among 481 patients included, the prevalence of OD was 60.7%, and it affected mostly female patients (74.3%) under 65 years old (92.5%), with fewer comor-bidities than patients with normal olfactory function. Here, 99.3% (290/292) of patients with OD presented with non-severe COVID-19 disease. Patients reporting OD were significantly less hospi-talized than the ones managed as outpatients, in either a standard medical unit or an ICU. Conclu-sions: As regards the clinical course of COVID-19 disease, OD could predict a decreased risk of hospitalization during the first wave of the pandemic.