Long-Lasting Olfactory Dysfunction in Hospital Workers Due to COVID-19: Prevalence, Clinical Characteristics, and Most Affected Odorants

María Luisa Delgado-Losada, Jaime Bouhaben, Claudia Ruiz-Huerta, Marcelle V. Canto and Alice Helena Delgado-Lima
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María Luisa Delgado-Losada: Experimental Psychology, Cognitive Processes and Speech Therapy Department, Faculty of Psychology, Complutense University of Madrid, Campus de Somosaguas, 28223 Pozuelo de Alarcón, Spain
Jaime Bouhaben: Experimental Psychology, Cognitive Processes and Speech Therapy Department, Faculty of Psychology, Complutense University of Madrid, Campus de Somosaguas, 28223 Pozuelo de Alarcón, Spain
Claudia Ruiz-Huerta: Servicio de Medicina Preventiva, Hospital Universitario de la Cruz Roja, 28003 Madrid, Spain
Marcelle V. Canto: Servicio de Medicina Preventiva, Hospital Universitario de la Cruz Roja, 28003 Madrid, Spain
Alice Helena Delgado-Lima: Experimental Psychology, Cognitive Processes and Speech Therapy Department, Faculty of Psychology, Complutense University of Madrid, Campus de Somosaguas, 28223 Pozuelo de Alarcón, Spain

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 9, 1-18

Abstract: Hospital workers have increased exposure risk of healthcare-associated infections due to the frontline nature of their work. Olfactory dysfunction is highly prevalent. The objectives for this investigation are to study the prevalence of long-lasting olfactory dysfunction associated with COVID-19 infection in hospital workers during the first pandemic wave, to identify clinical characteristics and associated symptomatology, and to analyze how many patients with COVID-19 infection had developed olfactory dysfunction during infection and maintained a reduced olfactory function for approximately 10 weeks after diagnosis. Between June and July of 2020, a cross-sectional study was carried out at the Hospital Central de la Cruz Roja San José and Santa Adela in Madrid, Spain. One hundred sixty-four participants were included, of which 110 were patient-facing healthcare staff and 54 were non-patient-facing healthcare staff. Participants were split into three groups, according to COVID-19 diagnosis and presence of COVID-19 related olfactory symptomatology. Participants were asked to complete a structured online questionnaire along with Sniffin’ Stick Olfactory Test measurements. In this study, 88 participants were confirmed for COVID-19 infection, 59 of those participants also reported olfactory symptomatology. The prevalence of COVID-19 infection was 11.35%, and the prevalence for olfactory dysfunction was 67.05%. Olfactory dysfunction associated with COVID-19 infection leads to long-lasting olfactory loss. Objective assessment with Sniffin’ Stick Olfactory Test points to odor identification as the most affected process. Lemon, liquorice, solvent, and rose are the odors that are worst recognized. Mint, banana, solvent, garlic, coffee, and pineapple, although they are identified, are perceived with less intensity. The findings of this study confirmed a high prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection among the hospital workers.

Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2 infection; olfactory dysfunction; anosmia; hospital workers; Sniffin’ Sticks (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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