Sex differences in post-COVID ageusia/anosmia in the United States

Abstract

Post-COVID Conditions (PCC) involve persistent symptoms associated with COVID-19 that continue beyond four weeks of initial infection. Sex has been shown to be related with COVID-19 severity and symptoms. The purpose of this study is to assess the loss of taste (ageusia) or smell (anosmia) among U.S. residents who had PCC and examine its specific association with sex. The data source for this cross-sectional study was 2022 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), a U.S. national dataset. Participants were included if they had COVID-19, reported experiencing PCC, and identified their primary PCC symptom. Overall, 23,824 participants were included in the study. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, adjusted odds ratio for males compared to females was 1.18 (95 % CI: 1.03–1.35; p=0.0165). Participants who were aged <50 years as compared with those who were aged ≥50 years, non-Hispanic white as compared with non-Hispanic black, had BMI ≤ 25 as compared with BMI ≥ 30, had no reported chronic condition as compared with those who did report a chronic condition, and had ≤high school education as compared with those who had > high school education had higher odds of reporting PCC-related ageusia/anosmia in this multivariable model. Among people with PCC, males had an 18 % higher odds of reporting PCC-related ageusia/anosmia as their primary symptom of PCC compared to females. Findings from our study can help identify patients affected by PCC-related ageusia/anosmia who would benefit from early referral for supportive care, such as counseling or interventions that can alleviate this dysfunction.