Taste loss in COVID-19 - psychophysical evidence supporting a low prevalence

Much - possibly even too much - has been published about chemosensory dysfunction as a consequence of COVID-19. Studies have reported prevalence of taste loss in up to 89.9% (1), which is in a similar range as COVID-19 related smell loss. However, most of these publications rely solely on patients' self-reports. Only few studies used validated psychophysical tests to specifically address olfaction and gustation. Especially for gustation, it is evident that subjective reporting does not correlate well with more objective psychophysical findings, often leading to an overestimation of subjectively impaired taste.

Is 2020 the golden year of Otolaryngology research? The impact of COVID-19 on the Italian academic production

BACKGROUND AND AIM

The aim of this research was to review the articles published by the Otolaryngology (ORL) departments of the Italian University Hospitals in 2019 and in 2020 in order to analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the academic production.

METHODS

PubMed and Scopus were searched for the articles published by the ORL departments of the Italian Universities in 2019 and in 2020. The main eligibility criteria were English-language articles, while there were no exclusion criteria related to topic. The articles were classified into seven domains corresponding to the main ORL subspecialties.

RESULTS

There was an overall increase in the number of articles by the 42.2% in 2020. Publications pertaining Rhinology and Laryngology increased more significantly in 2020, respectively by the 50.5% and 72.2%. Additionally, there was an increase in the number of articles concerning topics of general interest, by the 95.2% in 2020. Also, the citation trends of the articles published by the Italian University Hospitals increased remarkably in 2020.

CONCLUSIONS

These results evidenced an overall increase in the number of ORL articles. Although 2020 is going to be remembered as a year to forget, it should be acknowledged for being the "golden year of research".

COVID-19 lockdown and seasonal allergic rhinitis: our experience in 40 patients

INTRODUCTION

The aim of this article was to study the course of seasonal allergic rhinitis during COVID-19 lockdown in order to understand if being quarantined at home for a long time can constitute a protective factor for allergic patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Telehealth consultations were performed by the departments of Otolaryngology of Foggia and Bari University Hospitals. Participants took part in a phone interview and were asked about their sinonasal symptoms during the COVID-19 lockdown, by answering the sinonasal outcome test (I-SNOT-22) questionnaire. Further data concerning the medications used to treat allergy and the number of days per month in which they were used were collected. The responses about the COVID-19 lockdown were compared to those obtained by the same patients in our clinics the previous year. The statistical analysis was executed by using the paired sample t-test and the Bartlett test considering as significant values with p values <0.05.

RESULTS

Forty patients affected by cypress pollen allergy visited at Foggia and Bari University Hospitals were enrolled in this study. All I-SNOT-22 scores concerning the COVID-19 lockdown were lower than those of the previous year; moreover, 18 (81.8%) clinical parameters were statistically significant (p<0.05). Also, in regard to the treatment, results about COVID-19 lockdown were overall better than those of 2019, with 50% (n=3) of the investigated drugs, reporting statistical significance (p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The present study was able to evidence the fundamental role of primary prevention in Allergology. Paradoxically, the home quarantine ordered by the Italian Government appeared to be an effective measure not only in the fight against COVID-19 but also against pollen exposure.

Smell and taste dysfunction during the COVID-19 outbreak: a preliminary report

In late December 2019, in Wuhan (China), health authorities reported several clusters of pneumo- nia of unknown cause, subsequently attributed to a novel coronavirus, identified as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus 2. Anosmia and dysgeusia have been reported as particular symptoms.4,5  Notably, these sensory symptoms seem to have a peculiar trend, such as usually precede the onset of respiratory symp- toms. So, they have been defined as "sentinel" symptoms. We presented a series of COVID-19 patients. Anos- mia and dysgeusia frequently preceded respiratory complaints. Anosmia and dysgeusia seem to be short-lived and self-resolving in COVID-19, thus a neurotoxic effect swiftly disappearing and/or cytopathic damage could be hypothesized similarly to other viral infections.