Data Collection
We conducted a face-to-face interview with the participants. We Collected basic demographic, epidemiological and clinical data of hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Data on comorbidities, past medical and surgical history, olfactory dysfunction data were obtained. Quick- Smell Identification Test was performed in all patients.
Olfactory Testing
Olfactory function screening was done through Q-SIT. This is a Three-item microencapsulated odor identification test of standardized odors with five multiple choice options, one is “none/other” (Figure 1). Question one is testing chocolate odor, while the second is testing banana odor and third is for smoke odor.14
This test was chosen in particular because it is tear-off card test (disposable) so there is no concern about contamination and transmission of disease form COVID-19 patients. Moreover, it is fast and can be administered with in less than 1 minute.15 The test was validated against University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT). Though we disproved the validity of UPSIT in previous publication on our population, the three odorants used in Q-SIT are validated and accurately identified by our population.16 Cutoff point on one wrong answer gives better sensitivity and specificity with negative and positive predictive value of 98% ,43% respectively for detecting anosmia.14 Accordingly, we considered cutoff score of ≥ 2 to be normal test and cutoff score of ≤ 1 to be abnormal test for anosmia.