Is Olfactory Testing a Useful Diagnostic Tool to Identify SARS-CoV-2 Infections Early? A Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Analysis
BACKGROUND: Genesis and the prognostic value of olfactory dysfunction (OD) in COVID-19 remain partially described. The objective of our study was to characterize OD during SARS-CoV-2 infection and to examine whether testing of OD may be a useful tool in clinical practice in order to early identify p...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-04-01
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| Series: | Journal of Clinical Medicine |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/12/9/3162 |
| _version_ | 1797602311357333504 |
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| author | Christiana Graf Inken Wagener Katharina Grikscheit Sebastian Hoehl Annemarie Berger Nils Wetzstein Julia Dietz Georg Dultz Florian Michael Natalie Filmann Eva Herrmann Peter Tinnemann Udo Goetsch Sandra Ciesek |
| author_facet | Christiana Graf Inken Wagener Katharina Grikscheit Sebastian Hoehl Annemarie Berger Nils Wetzstein Julia Dietz Georg Dultz Florian Michael Natalie Filmann Eva Herrmann Peter Tinnemann Udo Goetsch Sandra Ciesek |
| author_sort | Christiana Graf |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BACKGROUND: Genesis and the prognostic value of olfactory dysfunction (OD) in COVID-19 remain partially described. The objective of our study was to characterize OD during SARS-CoV-2 infection and to examine whether testing of OD may be a useful tool in clinical practice in order to early identify patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection. METHODS: Olfactory function assessment was objectively carried out using the u-Smell-it<sup>®</sup> test. In a cross-sectional study part, we evaluated this test in a control cohort of SARS-CoV-2 negative tested patients, who attended the University Hospital Frankfurt between May 2021 and March 2022. In a second longitudinal study part, sensitivity and specificity of OD was evaluated as a diagnostic marker of a SARS-CoV-2 infection in Frankfurt am Main, Germany in SARS-CoV-2 infected patients and their close contacts. RESULTS: Among 494 SARS-CoV-2 negative tested patients, OD was detected in 45.7% and was found to be significantly associated with the male gender (<i>p</i> < 0.001), higher age (<i>p</i> < 0.001), cardiovascular and pulmonary comorbidities (<i>p</i> < 0.001; <i>p</i> = 0.03). Among 90 COVID-19 positive patients, OD was found in 65.6% and was significantly associated with male gender and positive smoking status (<i>p</i> = 0.04 each). Prevalence and severity of OD were significantly increased in infections with the Delta variant (B.1.617.2) compared to those with the Omicron variant (BA.1.1.529). Diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of OD for diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection were 69% and 64%, respectively. CONCLUSION: OD is common in COVID-19 negative and positive tested patients with significantly different prevalence rates observed between different variants. Diagnostic accuracy of OD is not high enough to implement olfactory testing as a tool in diagnostic routine to early identify patients with a SARS-CoV-2 infection. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T04:15:19Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-811604f2dc6e40e48dab068f2b08fbcc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-0383 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T04:15:19Z |
| publishDate | 2023-04-01 |
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| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Clinical Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-811604f2dc6e40e48dab068f2b08fbcc2023-11-17T23:11:33ZengMDPI AGJournal of Clinical Medicine2077-03832023-04-01129316210.3390/jcm12093162Is Olfactory Testing a Useful Diagnostic Tool to Identify SARS-CoV-2 Infections Early? A Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal AnalysisChristiana Graf0Inken Wagener1Katharina Grikscheit2Sebastian Hoehl3Annemarie Berger4Nils Wetzstein5Julia Dietz6Georg Dultz7Florian Michael8Natalie Filmann9Eva Herrmann10Peter Tinnemann11Udo Goetsch12Sandra Ciesek13Institute of Medical Virology, University Hospital Frankfurt, 60306 Frankfurt am Main, GermanyInstitute of Medical Virology, University Hospital Frankfurt, 60306 Frankfurt am Main, GermanyInstitute of Medical Virology, University Hospital Frankfurt, 60306 Frankfurt am Main, GermanyInstitute of Medical Virology, University Hospital Frankfurt, 60306 Frankfurt am Main, GermanyInstitute of Medical Virology, University Hospital Frankfurt, 60306 Frankfurt am Main, GermanyDepartment of Internal Medicine II, Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Frankfurt, 60306 Frankfurt am Main, GermanyDepartment of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Frankfurt, 60306 Frankfurt am Main, GermanyDepartment of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Frankfurt, 60306 Frankfurt am Main, GermanyDepartment of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Frankfurt, 60306 Frankfurt am Main, GermanyInstitute of Biostatistics and Mathematical Modeling, Goethe University, 60323 Frankfurt am Main, GermanyInstitute of Biostatistics and Mathematical Modeling, Goethe University, 60323 Frankfurt am Main, GermanyPublic Health Department of the City of Frankfurt am Main, 60306 Frankfurt am Main, GermanyPublic Health Department of the City of Frankfurt am Main, 60306 Frankfurt am Main, GermanyInstitute of Medical Virology, University Hospital Frankfurt, 60306 Frankfurt am Main, GermanyBACKGROUND: Genesis and the prognostic value of olfactory dysfunction (OD) in COVID-19 remain partially described. The objective of our study was to characterize OD during SARS-CoV-2 infection and to examine whether testing of OD may be a useful tool in clinical practice in order to early identify patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection. METHODS: Olfactory function assessment was objectively carried out using the u-Smell-it<sup>®</sup> test. In a cross-sectional study part, we evaluated this test in a control cohort of SARS-CoV-2 negative tested patients, who attended the University Hospital Frankfurt between May 2021 and March 2022. In a second longitudinal study part, sensitivity and specificity of OD was evaluated as a diagnostic marker of a SARS-CoV-2 infection in Frankfurt am Main, Germany in SARS-CoV-2 infected patients and their close contacts. RESULTS: Among 494 SARS-CoV-2 negative tested patients, OD was detected in 45.7% and was found to be significantly associated with the male gender (<i>p</i> < 0.001), higher age (<i>p</i> < 0.001), cardiovascular and pulmonary comorbidities (<i>p</i> < 0.001; <i>p</i> = 0.03). Among 90 COVID-19 positive patients, OD was found in 65.6% and was significantly associated with male gender and positive smoking status (<i>p</i> = 0.04 each). Prevalence and severity of OD were significantly increased in infections with the Delta variant (B.1.617.2) compared to those with the Omicron variant (BA.1.1.529). Diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of OD for diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection were 69% and 64%, respectively. CONCLUSION: OD is common in COVID-19 negative and positive tested patients with significantly different prevalence rates observed between different variants. Diagnostic accuracy of OD is not high enough to implement olfactory testing as a tool in diagnostic routine to early identify patients with a SARS-CoV-2 infection.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/12/9/3162SARS-CoV-2 infectionCOVID-19 infectionsolfactory dysfunctionolfactory test |
| spellingShingle | Christiana Graf Inken Wagener Katharina Grikscheit Sebastian Hoehl Annemarie Berger Nils Wetzstein Julia Dietz Georg Dultz Florian Michael Natalie Filmann Eva Herrmann Peter Tinnemann Udo Goetsch Sandra Ciesek Is Olfactory Testing a Useful Diagnostic Tool to Identify SARS-CoV-2 Infections Early? A Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Analysis Journal of Clinical Medicine SARS-CoV-2 infection COVID-19 infections olfactory dysfunction olfactory test |
| title | Is Olfactory Testing a Useful Diagnostic Tool to Identify SARS-CoV-2 Infections Early? A Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Analysis |
| title_full | Is Olfactory Testing a Useful Diagnostic Tool to Identify SARS-CoV-2 Infections Early? A Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Analysis |
| title_fullStr | Is Olfactory Testing a Useful Diagnostic Tool to Identify SARS-CoV-2 Infections Early? A Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Analysis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Is Olfactory Testing a Useful Diagnostic Tool to Identify SARS-CoV-2 Infections Early? A Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Analysis |
| title_short | Is Olfactory Testing a Useful Diagnostic Tool to Identify SARS-CoV-2 Infections Early? A Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Analysis |
| title_sort | is olfactory testing a useful diagnostic tool to identify sars cov 2 infections early a cross sectional and longitudinal analysis |
| topic | SARS-CoV-2 infection COVID-19 infections olfactory dysfunction olfactory test |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/12/9/3162 |
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