Treatment Recommendations for Persistent Smell and Taste Dysfunction Following COVID-19—The Coming Deluge

Abstract

In their study, "Evolution of Altered Sense of Smell or Taste in Patients With Mildly Symptomatic COVID-19," Boscolo-Rizzo et al 1 present the first insight into olfactory outcomes following coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among a p o p u l a t i o n o f I t a l i a n patients with otherwise mild disease. This cohort was previously used to establish alterations in self-reported sense of smell and taste as important symptoms of COVID-19, finding a prevalence of 64.4% among the 202 patients treated at home for mildly symptomatic disease. This encouraging finding is consistent with other preliminary reports of high rates of olfactory recovery among patients with COVID-19, 3 but is in stark contrast to other forms of postinfectious smell and taste dysfunction, which are characterized by recalcitrant symptoms in 40% to 60% of those affected. hese findings provide promising evidence that most patients with COVID-19 with otherwise mild disease may recover their subjective sense of smell and taste without directed medical intervention. However, even with a high rate of resolution, the staggering number affected by this evolving pandemic suggests an almost certain deluge of patients likely to present for the treatment of unresolved symptoms. As of May 7, there were roughly 1.2 million Americans diagnosed with COVID-19. According to the results presented by Boscolo-Rizzo et al, 1 approximately 60% of patients will experience altered sense of smell or taste and 10% will have persistent symptoms after 1 month. Based on these estimates, the number affected in the US alone could be in excess of 72 000. At the current growth rate of confirmed COVID-19 cases, this number can increase by 1500 per day. Presumably a portion of these patients will recover their sense of smell and taste in the next few months after infection, but there is no doubt we

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