Evaluation of taste and smell disorders in pediatric COVID-19 cases

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the infection associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), was declared as pandemic by the WHO in March 2020 and caused more than 146,000,000 infections and more than 3,000,000 deaths in April 2021¹. Children appear to be less commonly affected than adults, and most of the cases have mild disease. Although a minority of cases required hospitalization, symptomatic infection appears to be relatively uncommon in children^2–4.

The most common symptoms are fever, cough, and shortness of breath; however, these symptoms may be unrecognized before the diagnosis in children^5,6. Loss of smell or taste is reported in approximately 10% of children less than 20 years of age⁶. However, altered smell or taste is one of the symptoms most strongly associated with a positive SARS-CoV-2 swab test result⁷. Loss of smell is significantly associated with a decreased rate of hospitalization, intensive care unit admission, intubation, and acute respiratory distress syndrome, and it has been reported as an independent positive prognostic factor of a less severe COVID-19 infection in adults⁸.

Although it is well known in adults, there are scanty reports about smell and taste disorders in children with COVID-19 in the literatüre⁹. In this issue of the article, Elmas et al.¹⁰ reported that 7 children below the age of 18 had a positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR test result and were admitted with taste and/or smell disorder. These authors are involved in presenting the clinical manifestations and laboratory results of the patients at the time of admission and follow-up. In addition, cranial MRI and thoracic computed tomography (CT) scans of all cases during admission are also evaluated and discussed in the light of literature.

• Funding: none.

REFERENCES

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  World Health Organization. Weekly epidemiological update on COVID-19 – 27 April 2021. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2021. [cited on Apr. 30, 2021].Available from: https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/weekly-epidemiological-update-on-covid-19---27-april-2021
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• ²
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  Stokes EK, Zambrano LD, Anderson KN, Marder EP, Raz KM, Felix SEB, et al. Coronavirus Disease 2019 case surveillance – United States, January 22-May 30, 2020. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2020;69(24):759-65. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6924e2
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  Samaranayake LP, Fakhruddin KS, Panduwawala C. Sudden onset, acute loss of taste and smell in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): a systematic review. Acta Odontol Scand. 2020;78(6):467-73. https://doi.org/10.1080/00016357.2020.1787505
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• ¹⁰
  Elmas B, Çavdaroğlu P, Orhan M, Ay G, Caner İ, Tarım A, et al. Evaluation of taste and smell disorders in pediatric COVID-19 cases. Rev Assoc Med Bras. 2021;67(6):789-94. https://doi.org/10.1590/1806-9282.20200547
  » https://doi.org/10.1590/1806-9282.20200547

Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  22 Oct 2021
• Date of issue
  July 2021

History

• Received
  06 June 2021
• Accepted
  10 June 2021