Evaluation of Smell Abnormalities after SARS- Cov-2 Infection among Field Level Health Care Providers in Bangladesh

Introduction:
The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has significantly impact on global health,
with clinical presentations ranging from asymptomatic to severe,
leading to complications like pneumonia, ARDS, sepsis, organ failure,
and COVID-19-related deaths. Olfactory dysfunction (OD) is a
prevalent symptom of COVID-19, affecting 47.9% to 70% of patients
and contributing to a significant rise in global OD cases
Objective:
This study was aimed to evaluate the prevalence and characteristics of
smell abnormalities in field-level healthcare providers in Bangladesh
following SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Methods:
A cross-sectional descriptive was conducted at Department of ENT and
Head-Neck Surgery, Ad-din Sakina women’s medical college, Jashore,
Bangladesh, from January , 2022 to December, 2022 on 100 front-line
health care works of various health care institutes of Bangladesh to
investigate post-SARS CoV-2 smell function using integrated structured
interviews and standardized olfactory test.
Results:
Among 100 patients, 81% demonstrated normal olfactory function.
14% developed hyposmia, 3% anosmia and one patient developed
cacosmia and parosmia each.
Conclusion:
The study highlights the significant impact of SARS-CoV-2 on olfactory
function among frontline healthcare workers in Bangladesh. The
findings underscore the need for continued research and awareness
regarding olfactory dysfunction, particularly among those at the
frontline of healthcare.