The COVOSMIA-19 trial: Preliminary application of the Singapore smell and taste test to objectively measure smell and taste function with COVID-19

Florence Sheen; Vicki Tan; Amanda JiaYing Lim; Sumanto Haldar; Sharmila Sengupta; David Allen; Jyoti Somani; Hui Yee Chen; Paul Tambyah; Ciarán G Forde

doi:10.1016/j.foodqual.2021.104482

The COVOSMIA-19 trial: Preliminary application of the Singapore smell and taste test to objectively measure smell and taste function with COVID-19

Food Qual Prefer. 2022 Apr:97:104482. doi: 10.1016/j.foodqual.2021.104482. Epub 2021 Nov 25.

Authors

Florence Sheen¹, Vicki Tan¹, Amanda JiaYing Lim¹, Sumanto Haldar¹, Sharmila Sengupta², David Allen^{2

3}, Jyoti Somani^{2

3}, Hui Yee Chen², Paul Tambyah^{2

3}, Ciarán G Forde^{1

4}

Affiliations

¹ Clinical Nutrition Research Centre (CNRC), Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI), Agency of Science and Research (ASTAR), Singapore.
² Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, National University Hospital, Singapore.
³ Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University Singapore.
⁴ Wageningen University, Sensory Science and Eating Behaviour, Division of Human Nutrition, the Netherlands.

Abstract

Sudden loss of smell and/or taste has been identified as an early symptom of SARS-CoV-2 2019 (COVID-19) infection, and presents an effective target for prompt self-isolation and reducing community spread. The current study sought to develop and test a novel, rapid, self-administered test to objectively measure smell and taste losses associated with COVID-19, and administered self-report questionnaires to characterise symptoms associated with COVID-19 in Singapore. Participants (N = 99) completed questionnaires to record recent changes in smell and taste ability. This was followed by the 'Singapore Smell and Taste Test' (SSTT), a personal, objective testing kit for daily self-assessment of smell and taste function at their place of residence. Seventy-two recruited participants were confirmed as COVID-19 positive at baseline, of which 58 completed the SSTT at home. Of these, 36.2% had objectively measured smell and/or taste loss. The SSTT measures of smell and taste function were positively associated with participants' self-reported smell and taste acuity, and rated smell intensity of 6 common household items. This study presents the first application of the SSTT as a rapid, cost-effective, objective tool to self-monitor smell and taste function in a residential setting, and ensures comparability across individuals through the use of standardised stimuli. The SSTT has potential for future application in populations with limited access to formal COVID-19 testing as a self-administered objective method to monitor sudden changes in smell and taste, and to prompt early self-isolation, in order to reduce community transmission of COVID-19.

Keywords: Ageusia; Anosmia; COVID-19; COVID-19, Coronavirus disease 2019; Gustatory dysfunction; Olfactory dysfunction; PCR, Polymerase Chain Reaction; SARS-CoV-2; SARS-CoV-2, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2; SNOT-22, 22-item Sino-Nasal Outcome test; SSTQ, The Singapore Smell and Taste Questionnaire; SSTT, The Singapore Smell and Taste Test; VAS, Visual Analogue Scale.