Mariani Francesco, Morello Rosa, Traini Daniele Omar, La Rocca Anna, De Rose Cristina, Valentini Piero, Buonsenso Danilo
Department of Woman and Child Health and Public Health, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy.
Medicine and Surgery, Catholic University of Rome, 00168 Rome, Italy.
Children (Basel). 2023 Mar 21;10(3):597. doi: 10.3390/children10030597.
Olfactory and gustative dysfunctions are two of the most common post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection in children, which can have a negative impact on the routines of children and families. As several children have had COVID-19 since the Omicron variant, it is important to investigate if this increase in infections is reflected in higher olfactory/taste disfunctions. The primary aim of this study was to characterize the presence of olfactory/gustative problems in a cohort of children, its evolution, and its association with risk factors such as COVID-19 variant, hospitalization, presence of olfactory/gustative dysfunction during the acute phase, and vaccination.
This was a retrospective analysis of children with microbiologically confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection evaluated in person at a referral pediatric post-COVID-19 clinic in Rome, Italy. We included children younger than 19 years old, evaluated from the beginning of the pandemic up to October 2022. At specific timepoints, we investigated the presence of olfactory/taste disfunctions and evaluated them according to the SARS-CoV-2 variants circulating at the time of infection.
A total of 1250 children (650 females; 52.0%) with a mean age of 6.77 (±4.12) years were included in the study. At 3, 6, 12, and 18 months, 12 (9.6%), 7 (5.6%), 2 (1.6%), and 1 (0.8%) of the children reported anosmia and dysgeusia post-COVID-19 infection, respectively. The presence of anosmia and dysgeusia during the acute phase of infection and being infected with a pre-Omicron variant were found to be significant risk factors for persistent olfactory and gustatory dysfunction during all follow-up periods.
anosmia and dysgeusia symptoms tended to decrease gradually over time, but not all children recovered quickly.
嗅觉和味觉功能障碍是儿童感染新型冠状病毒2（SARS-CoV-2）后最常见的两种急性后遗症，会对儿童及其家庭的日常生活产生负面影响。自奥密克戎变异株出现以来，已有数名儿童感染了新冠病毒，因此有必要调查感染人数的增加是否会导致更高的嗅觉/味觉功能障碍发生率。本研究的主要目的是描述一组儿童中嗅觉/味觉问题的存在情况、其演变过程，以及它与新冠病毒变异株、住院治疗、急性期嗅觉/味觉功能障碍的存在情况和疫苗接种等风险因素之间的关联。
这是一项对在意大利罗马一家新冠后转诊儿科诊所接受当面评估的微生物学确诊SARS-CoV-2感染儿童的回顾性分析。我们纳入了19岁以下的儿童，评估时间从疫情开始至2022年10月。在特定时间点，我们调查嗅觉/味觉功能障碍的存在情况，并根据感染时流行的SARS-CoV-2变异株对其进行评估。
共有1250名儿童（650名女性；占52.0%）纳入研究，平均年龄为6.77（±4.12）岁。在感染新冠病毒后的3个月、6个月、12个月和18个月时，分别有12名（9.6%）、7名（5.6%）、2名（1.6%）和1名（0.8%）儿童报告嗅觉丧失和味觉障碍。在感染急性期出现嗅觉丧失和味觉障碍以及感染前奥密克戎变异株被发现是所有随访期间持续性嗅觉和味觉功能障碍的重要风险因素。
嗅觉丧失和味觉障碍症状往往会随着时间逐渐减轻，但并非所有儿童都能迅速康复。
