The prevalence of anosmia among patients with COVID-19 in Istanbul, Turkey: A cross-sectional study

Objective: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a new disease entity that appeared in late 2019. In this study, we aimed to determine the prevalence of loss of smell and/or taste among patients who tested positive for COVID-19 and identify demographic and clinical differences between patients with and without anosmia/dysgeusia. Methods: The study was performed in a referral center for COVID-19 in Istanbul, Turkey between the months of April and July 2020. The responses from a set of questions in regard to loss of sense of smell and/or taste were collected. None of these patients were exposed to any further examination or testing related to their senses of smell and/or taste. The data in regard to the patients being tested as well as their demographic information and co-morbidities associated with their condition were collected. Results: Twenty patients (10 male, 10 females, mean age 43.3 years) out of 86 patients (49 male, 37 female, median age 49.5 years), who tested positive for COVID-19, declared a loss of smell and/or taste. Nineteen patients (19/20, 95%) had a full recovery, and one (1/20, 5%) had partial recovery at the end of two weeks. Conclusion: Our results indicate that 23.3% of patients who tested positive with reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction testing for COVID-19 had loss of sense of smell to a certain extent. Keywords: Coronavirus, COVID-19, dysgeusia, olfaction disorders, prevalence