Anosmia and dysgeusia in the coronavirus patient: narrative review

Abstract

Objective: To study and summarize studies that show the possibility of screening and early isolation of cases of COVID-19 (coronavirus disease) due to the occurrence of olfactory and gustatory disorders in affected patients, in order to facilitate the access to information on the management and approach to the disease. Bibliographic review: COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2), emerged in East Asia and became a pandemic causing the death of thousands of individuals. Fever, dyspnoea, cough, arthralgia, myalgia, headache, rhinorrhea and diarrhea are the most prevalent symptoms, in addition to olfactory and gustatory changes, which commonly cause anosmia and dysgeusia. These disorders can appear together with the other symptoms or isolated. The period of improvement of olfactory symptoms, since its onset, varied from one to four weeks, with spontaneous resolution mostly. Final considerations: Studies relating the occurrence of olfactory and gustatory disorders with COVID-19 are still scarce, however such manifestations have considerable prevalence and maybe indicative in the screening and early isolation of cases of this disease.