Olfactory and Taste Dysfunction and Its Correlation with Viral Load on Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction among COVID-19 Patients: A Comparative Study from Tribal India

Background and Aim: Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) diagnosis is confirmed by detection of viral nucleic acid by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), in the upper respiratory samples through nasopharyngeal or oropharyngeal swabs or sputum. The present study compared the means of viral load on RT-PCR among COVID-19 patients with and without olfactory and taste dysfunction (OTD) admitted to dedicate COVID-19 hospital (DCH). Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional comparative study was conducted after IEC approval in DCH Shahdol for a period of 4 months, and RT-PCR positive patients were divided into two groups, Group A (with OTD) and Group B (with no OTD) using chemosensitive psychophysical test. The sample size was calculated as 160 (Group A = 80 and Group B = 80) by using sample size formula: (σ21+ σ22/K) (z1− α/2 + z1− β)2/Δ2. During data analysis, an association was significant for P < 0.05. Results: Among total subjects (n = 160), 129 subjects reported the history of fever or malaise followed by cough among 55 subjects. It was observed that from Group A and Group B, 38.7% and 36.2% of subjects stayed in hospital for