Schambeck Sophia E, Crowell Claudia S, Wagner Karolin I, D'Ippolito Elvira, Burrell Teresa, Mijočević Hrvoje, Protzer Ulrike, Busch Dirk H, Gerhard Markus, Poppert Holger, Beyer Henriette
Helios Klinikum München West, Steinerweg 5, 81241 München, Germany.
Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, Technical University of Munich, Trogerstr. 30, 81675 München, Germany.
J Clin Med. 2021 Nov 12;10(22):5266. doi: 10.3390/jcm10225266.
Deficiencies in smell and taste are common symptoms of COVID-19. Quantitative losses are well surveyed. This study focuses on qualitative changes such as phantosmia (hallucination of smell), parosmia (alteration of smell), and dysgeusia (alteration of taste) and possible connections with the adaptive immune system. Subjective experience of deficiency in taste and smell was assessed by two different questionnaires after a median of 100 and 244 days after first positive RT-PCR test. SARS-CoV-2-specific antibody levels were measured with the iFlash-SARS-CoV-2 assay. After 100 days a psychophysical screening test for olfactory and gustatory dysfunction was administered. 30 of 44 (68.2%) participants reported a chemosensory dysfunction (14 quantitative, 6 qualitative, 10 quantitative, and qualitative) during COVID-19, eleven (25.0%) participants (1 quantitative, 7 qualitative, 3 quantitative, and quantity) after 100 days, and 14 (31.8%) participants (1 quantitative, 10 qualitative, 3 quantitative and qualitative) after 244 days. Four (9.1%) participants, who were symptom-free after 100 days reported now recently arisen qualitative changes. Serological and T-cell analysis showed no correlation with impairment of taste and smell. In conclusion, qualitative changes can persist for several months and occur as late-onset symptoms months after full recovery from COVID-19-induced quantitative losses in taste and smell.
嗅觉和味觉减退是新冠病毒感染的常见症状。定量损失已有充分研究。本研究聚焦于嗅觉幻觉、嗅觉异常和味觉障碍等定性变化，以及与适应性免疫系统的可能联系。在首次RT-PCR检测呈阳性后的中位100天和244天后，通过两份不同问卷评估味觉和嗅觉减退的主观体验。用iFlash-SARS-CoV-2检测法测量新冠病毒特异性抗体水平。100天后进行嗅觉和味觉功能障碍的心理物理学筛查测试。44名参与者中有30名（68.2%）报告在新冠病毒感染期间存在化学感觉功能障碍（14例定量、6例定性、10例定量和定性），100天后有十一名（25.0%）参与者（1例定量、7例定性、3例定量和定性），244天后有14名（31.8%）参与者（1例定量、10例定性、3例定量和定性）。四名在100天后无症状的参与者报告近期出现了定性变化。血清学和T细胞分析显示与味觉和嗅觉损害无相关性。总之，定性变化可能持续数月，并作为迟发性症状出现在新冠病毒感染引起的味觉和嗅觉定量损失完全恢复后的数月。
