Background: Since the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in China in December 2019, the disease first reported, the number of cases has been exploded. Olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions, unusual symptoms, started to be reported in an increasing number of COVID-19 cases.
Aim of the work: The study aimed to compare the effects of early corticosteroids administration versus no administration in the time-to-recovery from olfactory dysfunction in cases with COVID-19.
Patients and methods: This comparative, non-randomized study was conducted at Benha University hospital and another primary health center in Cairo, Egypt, from Jan-2021 to June-2021. Eighty-three patients who met the inclusion criteria were assigned into two groups: The early corticosteroids (CS) group (41 cases) and the No-CS group (42 cases).
Results: There was no significant difference between the two study groups as regards age, BMI, and gender (p-values > 0.05). Females constituted 65.9% & 59.5% of cases in the early-CS group & the No-CS group, respectively. Also, both groups are comparable with regard to smoking, alcohol abuse, DM, hypertension, and morbid obesity (p-values > 0.05). At presentation, as regards the severity of anosmia, both groups are comparable (p-value = 0.302). Complete anosmia was reported in 80.5% and 78.6% of the early-CS group & the No-CS group, respectively. The mean duration for anosmia onset was 3.7±1 & 4.1±1.8 days in the early-CS group & the No-CS group, respectively (p-value = 0.204). Cacosmia was reported in 14.6% and 4.8% of the early-CS group & the No-CS group, respectively (p-value = 0.156). Also, dysgeusia was seen in 87.8% and 83.3% of the early-CS group & the No-CS group, respectively (p-value = 0.562). Other reported symptoms at presentation were comparable between the two groups; the most frequent symptoms were cough and fatigue/malaise: reported in 80.5% & 75.6% and 71.4% & 73.8% of the early-CS group & the No-CS group, respectively (p-values = 0.335 & 0.85).
Time-to-recovery from anosmia was significantly less in the early-CS group median (IQR) = 7 (9) days than in the No-CS group 14 (10) days, (p-value < 0.001). About 95.1% of cases in the early-CS group recovered in the first two weeks versus only 66.7% in the No-CS group.
Conclusion: In conclusion, unless contraindicated, early administration of systemic corticosteroids reduces the time needed to recover from COVID-19 olfactory dysfunction.
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