Incidence and prognosis of olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions related to SARS‐CoV‐2 Omicron strain infection in China: Correspondence

Dear Editor, we would like to share ideas on the publication "Incidence and prognosis of olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions related to SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strain infection in China: A national multicenter survey of 35,566 individuals.1" A study on 35,566 COVID-19 patients' olfactory and taste impairment was carried out by 45 Grade-A institutions in China. The chance of getting these symptoms was shown to be influenced by characteristics such as gender, smoking, history of vaccinations, and oral health. The total incidence of these dysfunctions was determined to be 67.75%. In addition to measuring the length of symptoms and the rate of self-reported improvement, the study discovered that the majority of patients recovered from their infections within a few weeks. The study's reliance on self-reported data, which is prone to bias and inaccuracy, is one possible drawback. Furthermore, the study only included data from Grade-A tertiary hospitals, which means that it could not be entirely representative of the overall population. Furthermore, the study failed to take into consideration any confounding factors that might have affected the outcomes. Finally, the study ignored other possible symptoms and long-term effects of COVID-19 in favor of concentrating solely on olfactory and taste impairment. Standardized smell and taste tests are good examples of objective assessments of olfactory and taste function that could be used in future research to produce more accurate and trustworthy data. Understanding the precise effects of the virus on these senses may also be improved by including a control group of individuals who are not COVID-19 patients. Furthermore, investigating the long-term consequences of taste and smell impairment following COVID-19 may offer important new perspectives on the healing process and possible treatments to enhance patient outcomes. All things considered, the study provides insightful data about the prevalence and course of taste and smell impairment in COVID-19 patients. Future studies can expand on these findings to deepen our understanding of the virus's effects on sensory function by taking into account the method's stated flaws and limitations. The study emphasizes how critical it is to address these symptoms in clinical settings and create focused therapies to help patients heal. Hinpetch Daungsupawongm: 50% ideas, writing, analyzing, approval. Viroj Wiwanitkit: 50% ideas, supervision, approval. The authors have nothing to report. The authors declare no conflict of interest. Not applicable. There is no new data.