COVID-19 Oral Sequelae: Persistent Gustatory and Saliva Secretory Dysfunctions after Recovery from COVID-19

• Published in: Medical principles and practice Vol. 32; no. 3; pp. 166 - 177
• Main Author: Tsuchiya, Hironori
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel, Switzerland S. Karger AG 01.10.2023
• Subjects: COVID-19; COVID-19 - complications; Cultural differences; Disease Progression; Dyspnea; Ethnicity; Humans; Infections; Medical diagnosis; Olfaction Disorders - diagnosis; Olfaction Disorders - epidemiology; Recovery (Medical); Review; Saliva; SARS-CoV-2; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Taste disorders; Taste Disorders - epidemiology; Taste Disorders - etiology; Middle East; South America; East Asia; North America; Europe; South Asia; COVID-19 sequelae; Saliva secretory dysfunction; Gustatory dysfunction; Persistent oral symptom; Pathogenic mechanism
• ISSN: 1011-7571; 1423-0151; 1423-0151
• DOI: 10.1159/000531373

Diverse manifestations have been recognized to last for a long time in patients infected with SARS-CoV-2. However, understanding of oral sequelae after recovery from COVID-19 is relatively poor compared to that of oral symptoms in the acute phase of COVID-19 and other COVID-19 sequelae. The aim of the present study was to characterize persistent gustatory and saliva secretory dysfunctions and to speculate on their pathogenic mechanisms. Articles were retrieved by searching scientific databases with a cutoff date of September 30, 2022. The literature search indicated that ageusia/dysgeusia and xerostomia/dry mouth are reported by 1–45% of COVID-19 survivors at follow-ups of 21–365 days and by 2–40% of COVID-19 survivors at follow-ups of 28–230 days, respectively. The prevalence of gustatory sequelae partly depends on difference in ethnicity, gender, age, and disease severity of subjects. Co-occurring gustatory and saliva secretory sequelae are pathogenically related to either or both of the following: expression of SARS-CoV-2 cellular entry-relevant receptors in taste buds and salivary glands, and SARS-CoV-2 infection-induced deficiency in zinc that is essential for normality of taste perception and saliva secretion. Given the long-term oral sequelae, hospital discharge is not the end of the disease; therefore, careful attention should be continuously paid to oral conditions of post-COVID-19 patients.