Table 1 Demographic and clinical characteristics of COVID-19 patients assessed for olfactory & taste disturbances.
From: Self-reported symptom study of COVID-19 chemosensory dysfunction in Malaysia
Characteristics | Total (N = 498) | Proportion (%) |
|---|---|---|
Age, years | ||
Median (IQR) | 36 (28–52) | |
Sex | ||
Female | 219 | 43.9 |
Male | 279 | 56.0 |
Ethnicity | ||
Malay | 382 | 76.7 |
Chinese | 50 | 9.8 |
Indian | 9 | 1.8 |
Other Malaysian ethnics | 47 | 9.4 |
Other nationalities | 10 | 2.0 |
Pre-existing comorbidities | ||
Hypertension | 86 | 17.3 |
Diabetes | 69 | 13.9 |
Smoker | 56 | 11.2 |
Allergies/allergic rhinitis | 35 | 7.0 |
Obstructive sleep apnoea | 28 | 5.6 |
Rhinosinusitis | 27 | 5.4 |
Chronic lung disease/asthma | 24 | 4.8 |
Obesity | 23 | 4.6 |
Cardiac disease | 13 | 2.6 |
Psychiatric disorders | 7 | 1.4 |
Dyslipidaemia | 5 | 1.0 |
Previous sinonasal surgery | 5 | 1.0 |
History of head trauma | 4 | 0.8 |
Previous head/brain surgery | 4 | 0.8 |
None | 227 | 45.6 |
Presenting symptoms | ||
Loss of smell &/or taste | 206 | 41.4 |
Loss of smell | 182 | 36.6 |
Loss of taste | 169 | 33.9 |
Fever | 200 | 40.2 |
Cough | 152 | 30.5 |
Sore throat | 127 | 25.5 |
Malaise | 119 | 23.9 |
Loss of appetite | 108 | 21.7 |
Muscle ache | 75 | 15.1 |
Headache | 66 | 13.3 |
Nasal congestion | 61 | 12.2 |
Shortness of breath | 57 | 11.5 |
Rhinorrhoea | 34 | 6.8 |
None | 138 | 27.7 |
