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With inputs from Dr Monica Vasudev
India
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New Delhi, July 30. 2020 :
Loss of smell associated with less severe COVID-19 infection: According to a study published in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, loss of smell appears to be an independent positive prognostic factor of less severe COVID-19 infection.
The study, which included 949 patients with COVID-19, found anosmia was significantly associated with decreased hospitalisation (odds ratio [OR] = 0.69) intensive care unit admission (OR = 0.38), intubation (OR = 0.43) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (OR = 0.45). The results remained significant after further adjustment for allergic rhinitis and chronic rhinosinusitis.
Smell loss was also associated with less lymphopenia and higher levels of albumin, suggesting a less severe reaction to COVID-19 in patients with smell loss compared with those with intact smell wrote Katharine J. Foster, MD, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois.
Mean lymphocyte count was 1.84 ± 3.69 among patients with anosmia compared with 1.11 ± 0.81 in those without smell loss (P = .001), and levels of albumin were 3.02 ± 0.83 versus 2.77 ± 0.83, respectively (P = .02). Other laboratory values and inflammatory markers were not associated with anosmia.
All patients in the study were evaluated at Rush University Medical Center between February 1, 2020, and April 3, 2020. Of the 949 patients, 198 (20.9%) reported loss of smell. Anosmia was significantly associated with younger age (mean age, 46 vs 49 years; P = .02), female gender (64.7% vs 52.8%; P = .003), and higher body mass index (33.6 vs 31.5; P = .001).
The study also found that a significant association between anosmia and history of pre-existing smell dysfunction (OR = 4.66), allergic rhinitis (OR = 1.79), and chronic rhinosinusitis (OR = 3.70), compared with patients without smell loss. [DG Alert Excerpts]
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