Acute onset olfactory/taste disorders are associated with a high viral burden in mild or asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infections

Kensuke Nakagawara; Katsunori Masaki; Yoshifumi Uwamino; Hiroki Kabata; Sho Uchida; Shunsuke Uno; Takanori Asakura; Takeru Funakoshi; Sho Kanzaki; Makoto Ishii; Naoki Hasegawa; Koichi Fukunaga

International Journal of Infectious Diseases (Oct 2020)

Acute onset olfactory/taste disorders are associated with a high viral burden in mild or asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infections

Kensuke Nakagawara,
Katsunori Masaki,
Yoshifumi Uwamino,
Hiroki Kabata,
Sho Uchida,
Shunsuke Uno,
Takanori Asakura,
Takeru Funakoshi,
Sho Kanzaki,
Makoto Ishii,
Naoki Hasegawa,
Koichi Fukunaga

Affiliations

Kensuke Nakagawara: Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Medicine, Keio University School of Medicine, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan
Katsunori Masaki: Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Medicine, Keio University School of Medicine, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan; Corresponding author at: Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Medicine, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan.
Yoshifumi Uwamino: Department of Infectious Diseases, Keio University School of Medicine, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Laboratory Medicine, Keio University School of Medicine, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan
Hiroki Kabata: Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Medicine, Keio University School of Medicine, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan
Sho Uchida: Department of Infectious Diseases, Keio University School of Medicine, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan
Shunsuke Uno: Department of Infectious Diseases, Keio University School of Medicine, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan
Takanori Asakura: Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Medicine, Keio University School of Medicine, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan
Takeru Funakoshi: Department of Dermatology, Keio University School of Medicine, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan
Sho Kanzaki: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Keio University School of Medicine, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan
Makoto Ishii: Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Medicine, Keio University School of Medicine, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan
Naoki Hasegawa: Department of Infectious Diseases, Keio University School of Medicine, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan
Koichi Fukunaga: Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Medicine, Keio University School of Medicine, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 99
pp. 19 – 22

Abstract

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This study investigated, using cycle threshold (Ct) qPCR values, the association between symptoms and viral clearance in 57 patients with asymptomatic/mild SARS-CoV-2 infection. Patients with olfactory/taste disorders (OTDs) exhibited lower qPCR Ct values and longer time to negative qPCR than those without OTDs, suggesting an association between OTDs and high viral burden.

Published in International Journal of Infectious Diseases

ISSN: 1201-9712 (Print); 1878-3511 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: Netherlands
LCC subjects: Medicine: Internal medicine: Infectious and parasitic diseases
Website: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/international-journal-of-infectious-diseases/

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Abstract

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