%0 Journal Article %T The long-term effect of COVID-19 infection on olfaction and taste; a prospective analysis. %A Boldes T %A Ritter A %A Soudry E %A Diker D %A Reifen E %A Yosefof E %J Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol %V 0 %N 0 %D 2024 Jul 8 %M 38976065 %F 3.236 %R 10.1007/s00405-024-08827-2 %X OBJECTIVE: To estimate long-term prognosis of chemosensory dysfunctions among patients recovering from COVID-19 disease.
METHODS: Between April 2020 and July 2022, we conducted a prospective, observational study enrolling 48 patients who experienced smell and/or taste dysfunction during the acute-phase of COVID-19. Patients were evaluated for chemosensory function up to 24 months after disease onset.
RESULTS: During the acute-phase of COVID-19, 80% of patients reported anosmia, 15% hyposmia, 63% ageusia, and 33% hypogeusia. At two years' follow-up, 53% still experienced smell impairment, and 42% suffered from taste impairment. Moreover, 63% of patients who reported parosmia remained with olfactory disturbance. Interestingly, we found a negative correlation between visual analogue scale scores for smell and taste impairments during the acute-phase of COVID-19 and the likelihood of long-term recovery.
CONCLUSIONS: Our study sheds light on the natural history and long-term follow-up of chemosensory dysfunction in patients recovering from COVID-19 disease. Most patients who initially suffered from smell and/or taste disturbance did not reach full recovery after 2 years follow-up. The severity of impairment may serve as a prognostic indicator for full recovery.