Olfactory and Gustatory Dysfunction in Children with COVID-19.
Abstract
Olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions (OGD) have been reported as relevant symptoms that may predict presence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in adults, associated with mild or moderate disease1, 2, 3. However, published data on OGD in children are scant, likely due to several factors specific to the pediatric population such as a lower incidence of infection, the tendency of COVID-19 to be asymptomatic4, 5, and the difficulty of studying childhood OGD with objective methods. Two case reports have been published to date: one with 3 adolescents6, and the other describing a 17-year-old girl with beta-thalassemia who presented total loss of smell and taste for 8 days7 . Current data on the prevalence of OGD are based on only 2 small cohorts of COVID-19–positive children8, 9. In a related study, Mannheim et al.10 describe that 19 (30%) of 64 infected children (0–17 years old) presented nasal congestion, rhinorrhea, and total loss of smell, though providing no data on the exact number of patients with olfactory dysfunction exclusively.