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PETALING JAYA: Loss of smell among Covid-19 patients may be more common than previously thought, with higher incidences among female patients than among males, a study by Malaysian scientists showed.
A recent meta-analysis, examining data from multiple studies on the same topic, by Malaysian academics suggested that loss of smell may be an underreported symptom among Covid-19 patients.
They also found that more cases of smell dysfunction were reported among women (61.4%) compared to men (38.6%).
“This could be explained by gender-related variation in the inflammatory process, or because more women are willing to participate in the studies.
“Another reason could be that women tend to be sensitive to any changes in their chemosensory function,” the authors said.
They also found that higher smell dysfunctions were observed in European (54%) and North American (51%) populations compared to Asians (31%).
“The underlying socio-cultural backgrounds of Asian patients, such as their reserved nature or lack of awareness of smell dysfunction as a symptom, could explain this,” they said.
The scientists added that there is also the possibility that healthcare workers may focus more on looking for critical symptoms like a lung infection than on loss of smell.
“This study highlights the importance of loss of smell as an early symptom in Covid-19 patients. The underreporting findings in Asians and men imply that they should be specifically consulted to avoid misdiagnoses, “they said.
In the study, a higher percentage of Covid-19 patients were found to have lost their sense of smell when objective means were used to measure smell dysfunction, compared to subjective methods.
“Interestingly, the prevalence
It was observed that olfactory dysfunction was greater in patients with Covid-19 in objective evaluations than in subjective evaluations (72.1% vs 44.53%).
“This could be attributed to the fact that the majority of Covid-19 patients are unaware of their olfactory dysfunction, leading to the possibility of underestimation,” they added.
They cited a study in which 98% of Covid-19 patients were found to have olfactory dysfunction after taking the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test, when only 35% of them were initially aware of their symptoms. .
“Therefore, it is worth noting that the prevalence of olfactory dysfunction may be higher if tested objectively,” they said.
Quantitative tests of loss of smell, they proposed, can provide a quick and inexpensive modality for detecting Covid-19 in a large population.
“The application of a specific questionnaire to detect olfactory dysfunction, especially in those with flu-like symptoms, a history of travel from affected countries and contact with patients with Covid-19, can improve the detection rate of infected patients” the study said. The study, titled “Prevalence of Olfactory Dysfunction in Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19): A Meta-analysis of 27,492 Patients,” was published in the medical journal The Laryngoscope on November 20.
The meta-analysis analyzed data from 83 high-quality studies from 27 countries and was written by Dr. Jeyasakthy Saniasiaya from Universiti Malaya, Dr. Md Asiful Islam and Prof. Dr. Baharudin Abdullah, both from Universiti Sains Malaysia.
The authors also found that the overall prevalence of smell dysfunction among Covid-19 patients was about 48%.
“Anosmia, hyposmia, and dysosmia were seen in 35.39%, 36.15%, and 2.53% of patients, respectively,” they wrote.
Anosmia is the partial or complete loss of smell, hyposmia is the decreased sense of smell, while dysosmia is the altered perception of smell.
Loss of smell was also greater among patients with a mild case of Covid-19 (47.48%), compared to those with a severe case of the infection (only 9.02%).
They suggested that more research be conducted to determine the specific odors that may be affected by Covid-19 infection.
“By identifying the specific associated odor related to the infection, a simple odor test can be developed, particularly to detect Covid-19,” they said.
They also found that nasal symptoms among Covid-19 positive patients were barely reported.
This suggests that while there is evidence of a strong link between Covid-19 and loss of smell, a runny or stuffy nose does not appear to be a common symptom among Covid-19 patients.
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