El Kady DM, Gomaa EA, Abdella WS, Ashraf Hussien R, Abd ElAziz RH, Khater AGA. Oral manifestations of COVID-19 patients: An online survey of the Egyptian population.
Clin Exp Dent Res 2021;
7:852-860. [PMID:
33931952 PMCID:
PMC8239795 DOI:
10.1002/cre2.429]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2020] [Revised: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES
This pilot survey aims to study the oral manifestations associated with COVID-19 infection and report the prevalence of oral signs and symptoms in COVID-19 patients.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
From May 15 to June 10, 2020, we used an online questionnaire containing the oral manifestations that are expected to be associated with the COVID-19 infection. Adults in our survey who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 positive were confirmed with reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR), and isolated in various hospitals in Cairo, Egypt.
RESULTS
This pilot study included 58 (53.4% males and 46.6% females) COVID-19 patients ages 18-46 years, and 13 (22.4%) were healthcare workers. Our results showed that 67.2% of the patients had at least one manifestation related to the oral cavity and salivary glands, and 32.8% (n = 19) did not have any symptoms associated with the oral cavity. The highest prevalence symptoms were dry mouth 39.7% (n = 23), gustatory dysfunction as 34.5% (n = 20) loss of salt sensation, 29.3% (n = 17) loss of sweet sensation, and 25.9% (n = 15) altered food taste, while the least prevalent symptoms were tongue redness 8.8% (n = 5), and gingival bleeding 7% (n = 4). The most frequently associated symptoms were loss of salt and sweetness, as reported by 27.6% of the participants. However, there was no significant association between the incidence of oral symptoms and demographic data (age, gender, or job) of the patients (p > 0.05).
CONCLUSIONS
Based on limited data, COVID-19 significantly impacts the oral cavity and salivary glands, as salivary gland-related symptoms and taste disorders are highly prevalent in COVID-19 patients.
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