Table 2.
Comparative results of adults versus children with smell and taste disorders, n (%)
|
Characteristics
|
Adults (n = 150)
|
Child (n = 35)
|
P value
|
| Age | 20–50 (31.41 ± 8.63) | 12–19 (15.66 ± 1.63) | - |
| Gender | 0.952 | ||
| Male | 72 (48) | 17 (48.6) | |
| Female | 78 (52) | 18 (51.4) | |
| Residence | 0.009 | ||
| Urban | 46 (30.7) | 19 (54.3) | |
| Rural | 104 (69.3) | 16 (45.7) | |
| Socio-economic status | 0.589 | ||
| Low | 79 (52.7) | 17 (48.6) | |
| Middle | 47 (31.3) | 11 (31.4) | |
| High | 24 (16) | 7 (20) | |
| Classification of patients | 0.077 | ||
| Mild COVID-19 infection | 123 (82) | 30 (85.7) | |
| - Minimal systemic manifestations | 72 (58.54) | 18 (51.43) | |
| - Isolated smell and taste loss | 51 (41.46) | 12 (34.29) | |
| Moderate COVID-19 infection | 27 (18) | 5 (14.3) | |
| Patterns of smell loss at onset (with or without taste loss) | 0.593 | ||
| Concurrent association with systemic and/or ENT viral manifestations at onset | 99 (66) | 23 (65.7) | |
| Isolated loss | 51 (34) | 12 (34.3) | |
| Systemic manifestations | 82 (54.67) | 18 (51.43) | 0.897 |
| Fever | 82 (100) | 18 (100) | |
| Cough | 42 (51.22) | 12 (66.67) | |
| Myalgia | 49 (59.76) | 10 (55.56) | |
| Fatigue | 45 (54.88) | 10 (55.56) | |
| Diarrhea | 34 (41.46) | 10 (55.56) | |
| Anorexia | 31 (37.80) | 18 (100) | |
| ENT manifestations | 56 (53.33) | 14 (40) | 0.989 |
| Nasal burning | 9 (16.07) | 3 (21.43) | |
| Electric like sensation in the nose | 9 (16.07) | 3 (21.43) | |
| Nasal dryness | 8 (14.29) | 2 (14.29) | |
| Sore throat | 29 (51.79) | 7 (50) | |
| Flu-like | 5 (8.93) | 2 (14.29) | |
| Sneezing | 5 (8.93) | 0 | |
| Mouth dryness | 4 (7.14) | 0 | |
| Duration of recovery of general, respiratory, gastrointestinal and other ENT manifestations; days | 4–30 (12.55 ± 6.04) | 5–15 (7.13 ± 2.69) | 0.082 |
| Previous treatment trials for smell and taste disorders | 0.335 | ||
| None | 29 (19.3) | 10 (28.57) | |
| Nasal irrigation | 19 (12.67) | 4 (11.43) | |
| Local steroids | 65 (43.33) | 23 (65.71) | |
| Systemic steroids | 14 (9.33) | 13 (37.14) | |
| Vitamins and supplements | 69 (43.33) | 17 (48.57) | |
| Olfactory training | 25 (16.67) | 17 (48.57) | |
| Consequences of sensory disorders | 0.516 | ||
| Headache | 6 (4) | 4 (11.43) | |
| Insomnia | 10 (6.67) | 2 (5.71) | |
| Anxiety | 16 (10.67) | 5 (14.29) | |
| Anorexia | 31 (20.67) | 5 (14.29) | |
| Recurrence of COVID-19 infection with smell loss | 3 (2) | - | |
| Duration of disorders at presentation | 6–24 (11.43 ± 3.87) | 6–24 (11.96 ± 4.41) | 0.515 |
| < 12 mo | 77 (51.33) | 13 (52.38) | 0.131 |
| ≥ 12 mo | 73 (48.67) | 22 (62.86) | |
| Onset of parosmia after smell loss | 2–6 (3.60 ± 1.52) | 1–5 (2.81 ± 1.47) | 0.442 |
| Parosmia | 98 (65.33) | 21 (60) | 0.284 |
| Types of parosmia | 42 (42.86) | 6 (28.57) | 0.709 |
| Unknown (unpleasant) | 52 (53.06) | 13 (52.38) | |
| Rotten | 17 (17.35) | 4 (19.05) | |
| Burnt | 15 (15.31) | 3 (14.29) | |
| Smoke | 3 (3.06) | 1 (4.76) | |
| Fecal | 5 (5.10) | - | |
| Gasoline | 2 (2.04) | - | |
| Metallic | 2 (2.04) | - | |
| Unknown (pleasant) | 2 (2.04) | - | |
| Dysgeusia | 5 (3.33) | - | |
| Types of dysgeusia | |||
| Metallic | 3 (60) | - | |
| Soap | 2 (40) | - | |
| Objective manifestations | |||
| Anosmia (orthonasal olfactory loss) | 150 (100) | 35 (100) | - |
| Ageusia | 30 (20) | 7 (20) | 0.918 |
| Flavor loss (retronasal olfactory loss) | 30 (20) | 7 (20) | 0.596 |
| Nasal trigeminal sensory loss | 30 (20) | 3 (8.57) | 0.025 |
| Oral trigeminal sensory loss | 30 (20) | 7 (20) | 0.918 |
Data are presented as number (%) and range (mean ± SD).
Analysis (adults versus children) was done using nonparametric tests: Independent Samples Mann-Whitney U test. Criteria: Alpha = 0.05, CI level = 95. COVID-19: Coronavirus disease 2019; ENT: Ear, nose and throat.