ANALYSIS OF SMELL AND TASTE SYMPTOMS IN COVID 19 PATIENTS

Abstract

OBJECTIVE

1. To analyze the smell and taste symptoms and to find out its significant association with age ,sex, comorbidities, smoking who were admitted and laboratory proven to be infected with

SARS Co-V-2.

1. Study of alterations in sense of smell and taste symptoms and their recovery if any, in the above patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Data were collected from the case records of the RT-PCR positive COVID 19 patients. These include age, sex, date of symptoms, smoking history, concomitant diseases, and about sense of smell and taste. The progress of the symptoms along with the improvement were also documented.

RESULT                                          

The study population consisted of 300 patients in the age group of  18-65 years old (37.8+/-12.5 years). 50% males, 50% females, 35 % smokers, 65% nonsmokers. Recovery time for sense of smell is 4 to 12 weeks . Recovery time for sense of taste is  4 to 12 weeks.

CONCLUSION

The study focusses on loss of sense of smell and taste the most common symptoms in the symptomatic confirmed COVID 19 patients. Loss of sense of taste and smell is some of the common symptoms in COVID 19 and may be the first symptom of this disease. There is significant positive association between loss of sense of smell and taste in COVID 19 patients.There is significant positive association between loss of sense of smell and taste and sex.