1. Investigation on the Loss of Taste and Smell and Consequent Psychological Effects: A Cross-Sectional Study on Healthcare Workers Who Contracted the COVID-19 Infection
- Author
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Claudia Canaletti, Corrado Negro, Luisa Dudine, Ingrid Santini, Giulia Abram, Marta Paris, Valentina Pesavento, Paolo Manganotti, Barbara Gregoretti, Federico Ronchese, Alberta Lunardelli, Fabiola Giudici, Vera Baroni, Dudine, Luisa, Canaletti, Claudia, Giudici, Fabiola, Lunardelli, Alberta, Abram, Giulia, Santini, Ingrid, Baroni, Vera, Paris, Marta, Pesavento, Valentina, Manganotti, Paolo, Ronchese, Federico, Gregoretti, Barbara, and Negro, Corrado
- Subjects
medicine.medical_specialty ,Cross-sectional study ,Health Personnel ,Psychological intervention ,Disease ,psychological distre ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,healthcare worker ,psychological distress ,medicine ,Humans ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Psychiatry ,smell lo ,Depression (differential diagnoses) ,SARS-CoV-2 ,business.industry ,healthcare workers ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,COVID-19 ,Brief Research Report ,Ageusia ,taste disorder ,smell loss ,Smell ,Distress ,Cross-Sectional Studies ,Taste disorder ,Taste ,Anxiety ,Public Health ,medicine.symptom ,Public aspects of medicine ,RA1-1270 ,business ,030217 neurology & neurosurgery - Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between psychological distress and taste and sense of smell dysfunctions on healthcare workers (HCW) who contracted the COVID-19 infection in the midst of the disease outbreak. Reports of sudden loss of taste and smell which persist even after recovery from COVID-19 infection are increasingly recognized as critical symptoms for COVID-19 infections. Therefore, we conducted a cross-sectional study on COVID-19 HCW (N = 104) who adhered to respond to a phone semistructured interview addressing the virus symptoms and associated psychological distress. Data were collected from June to September 2020. Findings confirm the association between experienced taste/olfactory loss and emotional distress and suggest that dysfunctions of taste and smell correlate positively with anxiety and depression. Furthermore, their psychological impact tends to persist even after the recovery from the disease, suggesting the need for appropriate psychological interventions to prevent people from developing more serious or long-lasting psychological disorders and, as far as HCW, to reduce the risk of work-related distress.
- Published
- 2021