Gustatory dysfunction and long COVID in Chinese patients with COVID‐19: A 6‐month follow‐up study

Aims To evaluate long COVID of gustatory dysfunction and the associated risk factors regarding onset and recovery in Chinese patients. Methods We conducted a cross‐sectional study of patients with SARS‐CoV‐2 Omicron infection at Changxing Mobile Cabin Hospital in Shanghai, China, from March to May 2022. A prospective follow‐up of patients with gustatory dysfunction was conducted at 6 months after discharge. Results In total, 18.48% (241/1304) reported gustatory dysfunction. The 6‐month follow‐up response rate was 89.63% (216/241) and 74.02% recovered their taste sense within 1–3 weeks. A total of 20.37% of patients (44/216) presented with long COVID. Symptoms persisted for 12 patients (5.56%) after 6 months. Having multiple taste impairments (OR, 2.364; 95% CI, 1.286–4.348; p = 0.006) was associated with a higher risk of gustatory dysfunction with long COVID. Having received a COVID‐19 vaccine booster was positively associated with taste sensation recovery (HR, 1.344; 95% CI, 1.012–1.785; p = 0.041). Conclusions About 20.37% of patients with COVID‐19 might develop long COVID of gustatory dysfunction and 5.56% with persisting changes in their sense of taste. Most patients recovered taste sensations within 1–3 weeks after COVID‐19 symptom onset and receiving a booster shot of the COVID‐19 vaccine presented a protective effect on the taste sensation recovery.