- D3.520 - Post-COVID Olfactory and Taste Dysfunction in Students at a South African Medical School

Olfactory and taste dysfunctions are frequently reported in patients with COVID-19 and may adversely afffect quality of life. The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence, duration, treatment and effect on quality of life of olfactory and taste dysfunctions after COVID-19 in students five years after the start of the pandemic.

The was a cross-section cohort study of medical students at the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein, South Africa. All medical students at the University of the Free State in 2024 were invited to complete a questionnaire about their experiences of post-COVID-19 olfactory and taste dysfunctions.

Of the 613 participants that completed the questionnaire, 248 (40.5%) reported having COVID-19, with 132 (53.2%) of these participants having had olfactory dysfunction and 125 (50.4%) having had taste dysfunction. The duration of olfactory and taste dysfunction was less than 6 months in 94 (71.2%) and 93 (74.4%) participants, respectively. However 34 (25.8%) participants had persisting olfactory and 27 (21.6%) persisting taste dysfunction when the study was conducted. Frustration was the most common emotion experienced because of both olfactory and taste dysfunctions. Safety issues attributed to olfactory dysfunction were reported in 29 (22.0%) participants. Most participants were not offered any treatment for these dysfunctions.

Although COVID-19-related olfactory and taste dysfunctions recovered in most participants, many participants had persisting symptoms that adversely affected their quality of life. Further research is required on treatment of chronic COVID-19-related olfactory and taste dysfunctions.