The effects of comorbidities on the change of taste and smell in COVID‐19 patients

Background Sudden chemosensory changes were considered an early predictor of COVID‐19. Here, the effects of comorbidities on changes in taste and smell in COVID‐19 patients were investigated based on a worldwide study. Methods Data analyzed here were collected from the Global Consortium for Chemosensory Research (GCCR) core questionnaire, including questions regarding preexisting disease conditions. Overall, the final sample of 12,438 participants who were diagnosed with COVID‐19 included patients with preexisting conditions. Mixed linear regression models were used to test our hypothesis, and the p‐value of interaction was examined. Results A total of 61,067 participants completed the GCCR questionnaire, including 16,016 participants had preexisting diseases. The multivariate regression analysis showed that individuals with high blood pressure, lung disease, or sinus problems, or neurological diseases exhibited worse self‐reported smell loss (p