Smell and Taste Disorders in COVID-19 Patients

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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This is a prospective monocentric observational study with the aim of investigating the demographic and clinical factors related to the smell and taste disorders in patients with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome - Coronavirus - 2 (Sars-Cov-2) infection.

Detailed Description
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BACKGROUND: Preliminary observational data collected by Otorhinolaryngologist at the San Gerardo Hospital in Monza and by literature evidenced that numerous patients suffering from Sars-CoV-2 infection had smell and taste disorders. The are many data in the literature but few validated studies are available. Furthermore, it is not yet known in these patients what factors are related to the presence of olfactory and gustatory symptoms. The aim of the study is to identify the demographic and clinical factors related to the smell and taste disorders in patients with Sars-CoV-2 infection, to evaluate the evolution of symptoms with a follow-up and to evaluate which factors influence the improvement of that symptoms. STUDY DESIGN: The study will include patients diagnosed with Sars-CoV-2 infection who have been hospitalized in the COVID wards of the San Gerardo Hospital in Monza and non-hospitalized patients but that get access to the nasopharyngeal swabs service of the hospital for the detection of the Sars-CoV-2 virus. The study includes 3 timepoints. After acquiring informed consent, patient will be contacted on the phone and he will be asked to answer a multiple or short-answer questionnaire (T0) aimed at collecting demographic and clinical data, in particular relating to the smell and taste disorders, which will take place approximately 24 hours after running the swab. Follow-up period will follow, which will require patients to be contacted and invited by the Investigator to repeat the telephone questionnaire respectively 1 month (T1) and 3 months (T2) from the first compilation (T0). The following information will be collected and recorded on a paper CRF: registry collection (date of birth, gender at birth) origin of the subjects: hospitalized, not hospitalized pathological, pharmacological history, allergies, smoking, flu vaccination date of onset of COVID19 symptoms smell and taste symptoms and temporal correlation with systemic symptoms (fever, dyspnoea, headache, rhinitis, gastrointestinal symptoms, arthralgias, skin manifestations) date of regression of the smell and taste symptoms STATISCAL ANALYSIS: A logistic regression model is used to identify what the clinical and demographic factors associated with the onset of the disease of interest are. The composite endpoint consisting of the presence of smell and / or taste disorders vs the absence of both pathologies will be used as a variable. The secondary analyzes will concern only the subjects who have declared that they have had the disease in the study and, through a logistic or ordinal regression model, we will try to identify which factors are associated with the positive evolution of the disease at T3 compared to T0.

Official Title
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Smell and Taste Disorders in COVID-19 Patients: Prospective Observational Study

Conditions
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covid19

Intervention / Treatment
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* Other: Investigation of smell and taste disorders


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: The study should include patients diagnosed of Sars-Cov-2 infection carried out at the San Gerardo Hospital of Monza: discharged from the COVID + wards of the San Gerardo Hospital in Monza not hospitalized subjected to nasopharyngeal swab for Sars-Cov-2 at the San Gerardo Hospital in Monza: Patients older than or equal to 18 years. The informed consent that will be freely granted and acquired before the start of the study. Exclusion Criteria: Patients without ascertained diagnosis of Sars-Cov-2 infection carried out at San Gerardo Hospital in Monza; Patients with previous or current documented rhinosinusal pathologies, previous rhinosinusal surgery, previous cranio-facial trauma, previous neurosurgical and maxillofacial surgery interventions conditioning neurological or sensorineural deficits at the rhinosinusal level, neuropsychiatric pathologies.

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Covid19 infection related patients<br>All subjects that had access to the nasopharyngeal swabs service of the hospital for the detection of the Sars-CoV-2 virus, both hospitalized and discharged from the hospital and not hospitalized, from mid-May to the end of June 2020, will be consecutively enrolled. It is assumed that 500 people will be recruited. | Other: Investigation of smell and taste disorders<br>* The study consists of an epidemiological investigation by means of a prospective observational study with the aim of investigating the demographic and clinical factors related to the sense of smell and taste in patients with Sars Cov 2 infection.<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Identification of demographic and clinical factors in covid19 patients. | Identify the demographic and clinical factors related to the sense of smell and taste in patients with Sars-CoV-2 infection included in the study. | Until patient discharge from the hospital (approximately four months) | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Description of the disturbances of smell and taste | Description in patients with Sars-CoV-2 infection the evolution of the symptoms (disturbances of smell and taste) understood as partial or total regression by 1-month and 3-month follow-up | Until patient discharge from the hospital (approximately four months) | 
| Description of factors that influence smell and taste | Define which factors (demographic and clinical) influence the improvement of the sense of smell and taste | Until patient discharge from the hospital (approximately four months). | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Coronavirus, sars-covid-2, coronavirus infection