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Principal Investigator: KAI ZHAO
Organization: OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
Fiscal Year: 2024
Award: $506,056
Funding agency: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
Project Summary
Since its outbreak in China in December 2019, the global impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection
has been extraordinary, with over 350 million cases and more than 5.5 million lives lost (WHO
Coronavirus Dashboard, Jan 2022). Despite various public health measures, such as social
distancing, handwashing, face masking, and vaccination, infections in the US and the world
continue in waves driven by new variants of concern (WHO). While the pandemic landscape
has been constantly shifting, epidemiologists and public health experts increasingly project that
the virus could eventually become endemic, especially with emerging zoological reservoirs.
While information is still emerging, the full picture of neurological consequences of COVID-19 to
broad sensory functions remains unclear, especially in the context of new variants, vaccination,
prior infection, and ongoing treatment. For example, smell loss has been a hallmark symptom of
COVID-19 (>80%) and can present in isolation (the only symptom of COVID-19) or precede the
occurrence of other symptoms. Epidemiology studies have shown that smell loss is the most
predictive symptom for COVID-19, better in identifying COVID-19 patients than cough, fever,
headache, or other typical symptoms used to screen for COVID-19 in workplaces, schools, and
health care settings. But with the emergence of Delta and Omicron variants and vaccination, it is
unclear whether olfaction function is still severely impacted as in the early stage of the
pandemic. Similarly, taste and chemesthesis (trigeminal) losses have been implicated but not
fully differentiated from the flavor loss caused by retronasal smell losses. Sudden onset of
hearing loss and dizziness have also been self-reported among COVID-19 patients, but current
evidence for these are still limited, despite being in the 3rd year of the pandemic. In this study,
Aim 1 will apply multidisciplinary methodologies to extensively capture and quantify the full
impact of COVID-19 on broad sensory functions (smell, taste, chemesthesis, hearing,
balance/vestibular function), with endemic viral upper respiratory infection (URI: cold, flu, etc.)
as a comparison group. These tests will allow us to extensively explore and differentiate the
impact of COVID-19 on multiple sensory functions and their association with the disease profile,
such as severity, dominant variant at the time of infection, vaccination status, prior infections,
and treatment received, with potential to characterize common and distinct factors to that of
URI. Aim 2 will broadly assess the longitudinal time course of sensory loss and recovery among
COVID-19 patients, with the expectation that recovery can vary depending on the system
affected and the disease profile. Aim 3 will specifically focus on COVID-19 “long haulers”,
patients who have persistent symptoms (>90 days), to examine the different characteristics in
sensory losses and recovery during the prolonged disease phase. The outcomes of this study
could importantly expand our understanding of the characteristics of broad sensory losses and
their recovery among COVID-19 patients.
Terms: <2019 novel corona virus><2019 novel coronavirus><2019-nCoV><ACE2><Acute><Acute Nasopharyngitis><Affect><Ageusia><Anosmia><Auditory><B.1.1.529><B.1.617.2><Basal Cell><COVID crisis><COVID epidemic><COVID infected patient><COVID pandemic><COVID patient><COVID positive patient><COVID screening><COVID-19><COVID-19 affected><COVID-19 consequence><COVID-19 crisis><COVID-19 effect><COVID-19 epidemic><COVID-19 era><COVID-19 global health crisis><COVID-19 global pandemic><COVID-19 health crisis><COVID-19 impact><COVID-19 impacted><COVID-19 infected patient><COVID-19 infection><COVID-19 long hauler><COVID-19 pandemic><COVID-19 patient><COVID-19 period><COVID-19 positive patient><COVID-19 public health crisis><COVID-19 screening><COVID-19 virus><COVID-19 virus infection><COVID-19 years><COVID19 infection><COVID19 patient><COVID19 positive patient><COVID19 screening><COVID19 virus><CV-19><Case Study><Cephalalgia><Cephalgia><Cephalodynia><Cessation of life><Characteristics><China><CoV-2><CoV2><Cochlea><Cochlear Organ><Common Cold><Confusion><Confusional State><Coronaviridae><Coronavirus><Coronavirus Infectious Disease 2019><Coughing><Cranial Pain><D-Glucose><Data><Death><Delta variant><Dendrites><Dextrose><Disease><Disease Outbreaks><Disorder><Dizziness><Dysfunction><Epidemiologic Research><Epidemiologic Studies><Epidemiological Studies><Epidemiologist><Epidemiology Research><Equilibrium><Face><Fever><Functional disorder><Future><General Population><General Public><Glucose><Goals><Gustation><Handwashing><Head Pain><Headache><Hearing><Herpes Simplex><Herpes Simplex Infections><Herpes simplex disease><Herpesvirus hominis disease><Hospital Admission><Hospitalization><Hypoxia><Hypoxic><Individual><Infection><Inflammation><Internal Ear><Ion Exchange><Job Location><Job Place><Job Setting><Job Site><Labyrinth><Long COVID><Long COVID-19><Long coronavirus disease><Long coronavirus disease 2019><MR Imaging><MR Tomography><MRI><MRIs><Magnetic Resonance Imaging><Mainland China><Measurement><Measures><Mediating><Medical Imaging, Magnetic Resonance / Nuclear Magnetic Resonance><Mental Confusion><Methodology><Modality><Mucous body substance><Mucus><NMR Imaging><NMR Tomography><Neurologic><Neurologic Manifestations><Neurologic Signs and Symptoms><Neurologic Symptoms><Neurological><Neurological Manifestations><Neurological Signs and Symptoms><Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging><Olfaction><Olfactory Epithelium><Omicron variant><Outbreaks><Outcome Study><Oxygen Deficiency><Pathway interactions><Patient Care><Patient Care Delivery><Patient Self-Report><Patients><Perception><Peripheral><Persons><Phase><Physical distancing><Physiopathology><Public Health><Pyrexia><Receptor Protein><Recovery><Reporting><Research><Ringing-Buzzing-Tinnitus><SARS corona virus 2><SARS-CO-V2><SARS-COVID-2><SARS-CoV-2><SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.529><SARS-CoV-2 B.1.617.2><SARS-CoV-2 delta><SARS-CoV-2 epidemic><SARS-CoV-2 global health crisis><SARS-CoV-2 global pandemic><SARS-CoV-2 infected patient><SARS-CoV-2 infection><SARS-CoV-2 omicron><SARS-CoV-2 omicron variant><SARS-CoV-2 pandemic><SARS-CoV-2 patient><SARS-CoV-2 positive patient><SARS-CoV-2 screening><SARS-CoV2><SARS-CoV2 infection><SARS-associated corona virus 2><SARS-associated coronavirus 2><SARS-coronavirus-2><SARS-coronavirus-2 epidemic><SARS-coronavirus-2 pandemic><SARS-related corona virus 2><SARS-related coronavirus 2><SARSCoV2><Schools><Self-Report><Sensory><Severe Acute Respiratory Coronavirus 2><Severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome CoV 2><Severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Corona Virus 2><Severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Coronavirus 2><Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoV 2><Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoV 2 epidemic><Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoV 2 pandemic><Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-associated coronavirus 2><Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-related coronavirus 2><Severe acute respiratory syndrome associated corona virus 2><Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2><Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 epidemic><Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection><Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 pandemic><Severe acute respiratory syndrome related corona virus 2><Severities><Severity of illness><Smell><Smell Perception><Social Distance><Spinning Sensation><Subjective Vertigo><Sudden Hearing Loss><Supporting Cell><Symptoms><System><Taste><Taste Perception><Testing><Time><Tinnitus><Trigeminal System><Upper Respiratory Infections><Upper Respiratory Tract Infection><Vaccination><Variant><Variation><Vertigo><Vestibular System Function><Vestibular System Impairment><Vestibular defect><Vestibular dysfunction><Vestibular function><Vestibular problems><Viral><Viral Diseases><Virus><Virus Diseases><West Nile><Work Location><Work Place><Work-Site><Workplace><Worksite><Wuhan coronavirus><ZIKA><Zeugmatography><after COVID-19 infection><after SARS-CoV-2 infection><after SARS-CoV2 infection><after infection by SARS-CoV-2><after severe acute respiratory distress syndrome CoV-2 infection><angiotensin converting enzyme 2><angiotensin converting enzyme II><anosphrasia><balance><balance function><care for patients><care of patients><caring for patients><case report><chronic COVID><chronic COVID-19><chronic effect of COVID-19><chronic novel coronavirus disease 2019><chronic symptom><cohort><common symptom><comparator group><comparison group><corona virus><coronavirus disease 2019><coronavirus disease 2019 consequence><coronavirus disease 2019 crisis><coronavirus disease 2019 effect><coronavirus disease 2019 epidemic><coronavirus disease 2019 global health crisis><coronavirus disease 2019 global pandemic><coronavirus disease 2019 health crisis><coronavirus disease 2019 impact><coronavirus disease 2019 infected patient><coronavirus disease 2019 infection><coronavirus disease 2019 long hauler><coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic><coronavirus disease 2019 patient><coronavirus disease 2019 positive patient><coronavirus disease 2019 public health crisis><coronavirus disease 2019 screening><coronavirus disease 2019 virus><coronavirus disease crisis><coronavirus disease epidemic><coronavirus disease infected patient><coronavirus disease pandemic><coronavirus disease patient><coronavirus disease positive patient><coronavirus disease screening><coronavirus disease-19><coronavirus disease-19 global pandemic><coronavirus disease-19 impact><coronavirus disease-19 pandemic><coronavirus disease-19 patient><coronavirus disease-19 virus><coronavirus infectious disease-19><coronavirus patient><coronavirus screening><dashboard><disease severity><epidemiologic investigation><epidemiology study><expectation><faces><facial><febrile><febris><flu><following COVID-19 infection><following SARS-CoV-2 infection><following SARS-CoV2 infection><following infection by SARS-CoV-2><following severe acute respiratory distress syndrome CoV-2 infection><gustatory perception><gustatory processing><gustatory response><hCoV19><hand washing><head ache><health care settings><healthcare settings><herpes simplex virus 1 infection><herpes simplex virus infection><infected with COVID-19><infected with COVID19><infected with SARS-CoV-2><infected with SARS-CoV2><infected with coronavirus disease 2019><infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2><inner ear><long haul COVID><long haul COVID-19><long haul coronavirus disease><long haul coronavirus disease 2019><long hauler><long term consequences of COVID-19><long term consequences of SARS-CoV-2 infection><long term consequences of coronavirus disease-19><long term effects of COVID-19><long term health consequences of COVID-19><long term health consequences of SARS-CoV2 infection><long term impact of COVID-19><long term impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection><long-hauler COVID><long-hauler COVID-19><long-hauler coronavirus disease 2019><long-hauler syndrome><long-term COVID><long-term COVID-19><long-term consequence of severe acute respiratory distress syndrome-cov-2 infection><long-term coronavirus disease><long-term coronavirus disease 2019><long-term effects of coronavirus disease-19><longterm COVID><longterm COVID-19><longterm consequences of COVID-19><longterm consequences of SARS-CoV-2 infection><longterm coronavirus disease><longterm coronavirus disease 2019><longterm effects of COVID-19><longterm health consequences of COVID-19><longterm health consequences of SARS-CoV2 infection><longterm impact of COVID-19><longterm impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection><loss of smell><mucous><multidisciplinary><multisensory><nCoV2><nasal obstruction><neural><neural inflammation><neural manifestation><neuro-sensory><neuroinflammation><neuroinflammatory><neurosensory><neurotropic><odor perception><olfactory bulb><olfactory loss><olfactory perception><olfactory sensory neurons><omicron variant of COVID-19><omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2><pandemic><pandemic disease><pathophysiology><pathway><patient infected with COVID><patient infected with COVID-19><patient infected with SARS-CoV-2><patient infected with coronavirus disease><patient infected with coronavirus disease 2019><patient infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2><patient subclass><patient subcluster><patient subgroups><patient subpopulations><patient subsets><patient subtypes><patient with COVID><patient with COVID-19><patient with COVID19><patient with SARS-CoV-2><patient with coronavirus disease><patient with coronavirus disease 2019><patient with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome coronavirus 2><persistent COVID-19><persistent symptom><post COVID syndrome><post COVID-19 syndrome><post SARS-CoV-2 infection><post acute COVID syndrome><post acute COVID-19><post acute COVID-19 syndrome><post acute SARS-CoV-2><post acute coronavirus disease 2019><post acute coronavirus disease 2019 syndrome><post acute coronavirus disease syndrome><post acute severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2><post coronavirus disease 2019 syndrome><post coronavirus disease syndrome><post-COVID><post-COVID-19><post-acute phases of COVID-19><post-coronavirus disease 2019><previous COVID-19 infection><previous SARS-CoV-2 infection><previous SARS-CoV2 infection><previous severe acute respiratory distress syndrome CoV-2 infection><prior COVID-19 infection><prior SARS-CoV-2 infection><prior SARS-CoV2 infection><prior severe acute respiratory distress syndrome CoV-2 infection><prolonged COVID-19 symptoms><receptor><sensory system><severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 B.1.1.529><severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 B.1.617.2><severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 global health crisis><severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 global pandemic><severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infected patient><severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 patient><severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 positive patient><severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 screening><sudden onset hearing loss><sustentacular cell><taste loss><taste processing><taste response><timeline><trigeminal><variants of concern><vestibular deficit><vestibular impairment><vestibular system dysfunction><viral infection><virus infection><virus-induced disease><work setting>