Direct measures of liking and intensity of taste/smell/chemesthetic stimuli are similar between people who had or did not have COVID-19
Tue-P1-001
Presented by: Emilia Leszkowicz
We aimed to assess the impact of COVID-related smell and taste disturbances on post-COVID chemosensory sensitivity.
Seventy-four young adults reported their COVID-19 history and completed an in-person chemosensory test in which they rated intensity and liking for 6 odorants (galaxolide, guaiacol, beta-ionone, trimethylamine, phenylethyl alcohol, 2-ethyl fenchol) and 6 solutions that are exemplars of taste qualities or are chemesthetic stimuli (sucralose, sodium chloride, citric acid, phenylthiocarbamide, menthol, capsaicin) on a scale from 1 to 9. Participants (aged 21+/-1 year, 14 males, 60 females) were grouped by whether they reported having COVID-19 (n=34) or not (n=40) in the time preceding the testing (27-2 months), and the two groups were compared on all measures using a Mann-Whitney U test. Additionally, participants who had smell/taste disorders during COVID-19 (n=26) were compared with those who did not have COVID (a Mann-Whitney U test). For participants who reported having COVID-19, the effects of smell disorder status (no-impairment, total anosmia, other impairment, n=8, n=19, n=7, respectively), and taste disorder status (no-impairment, total ageusia, other impairment, n=10, n=18, n=6, respectively) were analysed (a Kruskal-Wallis test).
Overall, there were no differences in intensity ratings or liking except the liking for sucralose, which was lower in people who reported a history of COVID-19 than those with no history (medians 6 (IQR 4.0-8.0), 7 (IQR 6.7-8.0), respectively; p=0.044). Moreover, no difference in the rating of liking and intensity was found between participants who had smell/taste disorders during COVID-19 and those who did not have COVID-19 (p>0.05). Intensity ratings and liking were not affected by the status of smell (p>0.05) or taste (p>0.05) impairments during COVID. While taste and/or smell loss is a common feature of long COVID, these results suggest that most young adults recover their sense of taste, smell, and chemesthesis.
Seventy-four young adults reported their COVID-19 history and completed an in-person chemosensory test in which they rated intensity and liking for 6 odorants (galaxolide, guaiacol, beta-ionone, trimethylamine, phenylethyl alcohol, 2-ethyl fenchol) and 6 solutions that are exemplars of taste qualities or are chemesthetic stimuli (sucralose, sodium chloride, citric acid, phenylthiocarbamide, menthol, capsaicin) on a scale from 1 to 9. Participants (aged 21+/-1 year, 14 males, 60 females) were grouped by whether they reported having COVID-19 (n=34) or not (n=40) in the time preceding the testing (27-2 months), and the two groups were compared on all measures using a Mann-Whitney U test. Additionally, participants who had smell/taste disorders during COVID-19 (n=26) were compared with those who did not have COVID (a Mann-Whitney U test). For participants who reported having COVID-19, the effects of smell disorder status (no-impairment, total anosmia, other impairment, n=8, n=19, n=7, respectively), and taste disorder status (no-impairment, total ageusia, other impairment, n=10, n=18, n=6, respectively) were analysed (a Kruskal-Wallis test).
Overall, there were no differences in intensity ratings or liking except the liking for sucralose, which was lower in people who reported a history of COVID-19 than those with no history (medians 6 (IQR 4.0-8.0), 7 (IQR 6.7-8.0), respectively; p=0.044). Moreover, no difference in the rating of liking and intensity was found between participants who had smell/taste disorders during COVID-19 and those who did not have COVID-19 (p>0.05). Intensity ratings and liking were not affected by the status of smell (p>0.05) or taste (p>0.05) impairments during COVID. While taste and/or smell loss is a common feature of long COVID, these results suggest that most young adults recover their sense of taste, smell, and chemesthesis.