Ongoing investigation of smell and taste recovery in COVID-19 survivors shows 4 in 5 recover their senses within 6 months – ScienceDaily

Of 798 respondents to the ongoing COVID-19 loss of smell and taste survey who tested positive for COVID-19 and reported loss of smell or taste, participants under the age of 40 had regained their sense of smell at a higher rate than those over 40. 40, according to the results of a study published in the American Journal of Otolaryngology last month. The VCU study requires that survey participants be 18 years of age or older.

Evan Reiter, MD, medical director of VCU Health’s Smell and Taste Disorders Center and co-investigator of the study, said the latest data shows that 4 out of 5 participants, regardless of age, regained their smell and smell. taste within six months.

“With our cohort, we saw a recovery rate of about 80% over a period of six months or more,” said Reiter, professor and vice-chair of the Department of Otolaryngology – Head Surgery and neck at the VCU School of Medicine. “However, 20% is still a lot of people, given the millions of people who have been affected by COVID-19.”

What symptoms COVID-19 survivors experienced and what pre-existing conditions they had also offered insight into their recovery. People with a history of head trauma were less likely to regain their sense of smell. Recovery was also less likely for those who had shortness of breath during COVID-19. However, people with nasal congestion had a higher likelihood of smell recovery.

“The increased likelihood of recovering smell in people with nasal congestion is a given just because you may lose your sense of smell because you are severely congested and odors cannot get into your nose,” Reiter said. “Certainly a subset of those people who are congested might have lost their sense of smell because they were severely congested, rather than because of nerve damage from the virus, as in other cases.”

There have been more than 230 million cases of COVID-19 worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. If the survey’s estimates reflect populations around the world, more than 20 million people could have a persistent loss of smell or taste more than six months after being diagnosed with COVID-19.

Since April 2020, when reports of loss of smell and taste as a symptom of COVID-19 became widespread, researchers at VCU have been working to determine how long the loss of smell or taste is. Taste linked to COVID-19 could last to help identify treatments or other health considerations for those who have lost those senses. To date, nearly 3,000 people across the United States have participated in the survey, which tracks symptoms over time.

The Center for Smell and Taste Disorders researchers for this ongoing study include Daniel Coelho, MD, senior author and professor in the Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery; Richard Costanzo, Ph.D., senior author, center research director and professor emeritus in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics; Zachary Kons, medical student at VCU School of Medicine; and Reiter. Co-authors of the latest article also include Yongyun Shin, Ph.D., associate professor, and Serenity Budd, Ph.D. student, both from the Department of Biostatistics at VCU School of Medicine.

Results from a previous poll released in April showed that 43% of participants reported feeling depressed and 56% reported decreased enjoyment of life in general while experiencing loss of smell or taste. The most common quality of life concern was decreased enjoyment of eating, with 87% of respondents indicating this was a problem. The inability to smell smoke was the most common safety risk, reported by 45% of those surveyed. Loss of appetite (55%) and unintentional weight loss (37%) continue to pose challenges for patients, says Coelho.

“The more we learn from those who have been affected, the better we can advise their health care providers and even the individuals themselves on how to manage these symptoms,” Coelho said. “Through this study, we continue to get a clearer picture of the risks COVID-19 poses to quality of life, safety and long-term health and well-being while seeking answers about treatment. “

For those looking for respite from scent loss, training in smell scent using essential oils can help.

“I continue to recommend this to my patients. It’s low cost and low risk,” Reiter said.

The Clinical Olfactory Working Group, an international group of physicians with a strong interest in research into the sense of smell, recommended the method as an option earlier this year. The group found that training in smell (olfactory) could help promote recovery from nerve damage.

“I would also say that it can potentially allow people to be a bit more in tune with the level of function they have left, which could make them more sensitive and better able to use the remaining sensors and neurons that are working. “said Reiter.

And for those who might worry about losing those senses, Reiter said a dose of prevention is needed.

“What the CDC and WHO said – get the vaccine, wear a mask, wash your hands – all the seemingly simple things that are readily available at least here in the United States, thankfully, are important,” said Reiter. “To prevent these long-term consequences, you really need to minimize your chances of getting the disease in the first place because, once it hits, we don’t have much of a way to affect its course or outcome right now. affect its severity. Prevention is worth a thousand pounds of the cure, in this case, because the cure is not there. “

However, efforts to find a solution are underway. Costanzo and Coelho’s initial development of an implant device to restore smell began years before the pandemic. The couple are optimistic that, when operational, it could be a source of hope for those suffering from lasting loss of smell.

“The international interest we have seen in finding solutions to odor loss, given its lasting impact on patients, has increased dramatically during this pandemic,” said Costanzo. “While we hope these people’s symptoms improve – and most do – this device could make a difference for those whose sense of smell is not returning.”

The device would behave a bit like a cochlear implant, which restores hearing for the hearing impaired.

Teams at the VCU School of Medicine have been dedicated to finding options for people with persistent symptoms of COVID-19, said Peter Buckley, MD, dean of the VCU School of Medicine. While providers at the Smell and Taste Disorders Center focus on smell and taste, others at VCU Health’s Long COVID-19 Clinic focus on long-term symptoms of the heart, lung brain and lungs.

“Our faculty and healthcare providers have focused on problem solving since the onset of this pandemic to provide the best possible care for patients,” Buckley said. “Studies conducted by the Center for Odor and Taste Disorders have been a leading source of information on loss of smell and taste and its impact on the mental and physical health of people with these symptoms. . I salute the efforts of researchers to gather and share this knowledge. with providers nationwide for the well-being of all patients. “

The study team expects to focus on how different variants of COVID-19, such as the delta variant, affect the loss and recovery of smell and taste. The team encourages those interested in the national COVID-related loss of smell and taste investigation to participate at: go.vcu.edu/covidsmell

This study received a grant from the MEDARVA Foundation. The C. Kenneth and Dianne Wright Center for Clinical and Translational Research, which oversees clinical research at VCU, created and maintains the database for the ongoing investigation for people with loss of smell and taste through funding from a grant from the National Institutes of Health.