Department of Restorative Dentistry, Dundee Dental Hospital and School, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 4HR, UK.
Medicina (Kaunas). 2022 Feb 14;58(2):283. doi: 10.3390/medicina58020283.
: Loss of smell is one of the strongest predictors of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and can persist long after other symptoms have resolved. "Long" cases (>28 days) of smell dysfunction present future challenges to medical and dental professionals, as there is a lack of evidence on the causes and any exacerbating or relieving factors. This study aimed to explore the persistence of COVID-19-induced smell loss and association with physical, lifestyle and oral health factors. : This study was a cross-sectional survey of 235 participants. Recovery of smell was explored, comparing rapid recovery (≤28 days) with prolonged recovery (>28 days). Associative factors included age, sex, illness severity, diet, BMI, vitamin D supplementation, antidepressants, alcohol use, smoking, brushing frequency, flossing, missing teeth, appliances and number of dental restorations. : Smell loss showed 87% resolution within 30 days. Prolonged smell loss was significantly associated with older age (mean ± 95%, CI = 31.53 ± 1.36 years for rapid recovery vs. mean ± 95%, CI = 36.0 ± 3 years for prolonged recovery, = 0.003) and increased self-reported illness severity (mean ± 95%, CI = 4.39 ± 0.27 for rapid recovery vs. 5.01 ± 0.54 for prolonged recovery, = 0.016). Fisher's exact test revealed flossing was associated with rapid recovery, with flossers comprising 75% of the rapid-recovery group, compared to 56% in the prolonged-recovery group (odds ratio ± 95%, CI = 2.26 (1.23-4.15), = 0.01). All other factors were not significantly associated ( > 0.05). : Increased age and illness severity were associated with prolonged smell recovery. Use of floss was the only modifiable factor associated with rapid recovery of smell loss. As 87% of cases resolve within 30 days, future studies may benefit from targeted recruitment of individuals experiencing prolonged sense loss. This would increase statistical confidence when declaring no association with the other factors assessed, avoiding type II errors.
嗅觉丧失是 2019 年冠状病毒病（COVID-19）最强的预测指标之一，并且在其他症状消退后仍会持续很长时间。“长”时间（> 28 天）的嗅觉功能障碍给医疗和牙科专业人员带来了未来的挑战，因为缺乏关于病因以及任何加重或缓解因素的证据。本研究旨在探讨 COVID-19 引起的嗅觉丧失的持续时间及其与身体、生活方式和口腔健康因素的关系。
本研究是一项对 235 名参与者的横断面调查。研究探索了嗅觉恢复情况，比较了快速恢复（≤28 天）和延长恢复（> 28 天）。关联因素包括年龄、性别、疾病严重程度、饮食、BMI、维生素 D 补充剂、抗抑郁药、酒精使用、吸烟、刷牙频率、使用牙线、缺牙、义齿和牙齿修复数量。
嗅觉丧失在 30 天内有 87%的恢复率。延长的嗅觉丧失与年龄较大显著相关（快速恢复的平均±95%置信区间[CI]=31.53±1.36 岁，延长恢复的平均±95%CI=36.0±3 岁，=0.003），自我报告的疾病严重程度增加（快速恢复的平均±95%CI=4.39±0.27，延长恢复的平均±95%CI=5.01±0.54，=0.016）。Fisher 精确检验显示，使用牙线与快速恢复相关，使用牙线的人在快速恢复组中占 75%，而在延长恢复组中占 56%（比值比±95%CI=2.26（1.23-4.15），=0.01）。其他所有因素均无显著相关性（>0.05）。
年龄较大和疾病严重程度与嗅觉恢复延长有关。使用牙线是与嗅觉丧失快速恢复相关的唯一可改变因素。由于 87%的病例在 30 天内得到解决，未来的研究可能会受益于对经历延长感觉丧失的个体的有针对性招募。这将增加在宣布与评估的其他因素无关联时的统计置信度，避免第二类错误。
