Evaluation of taste score and fungiform papillae quantification using digital image analysis in COVID-19 patients with smell and taste dysfunction.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic which is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has created a major global health crisis in recent years. Despite this, there have been few studies that have utilized reliable methods to assess changes in taste and smell perception. Therefore, our study aims at the number of fungiform papillae and objective measures of taste perception relationship among COVID-19 patients with olfactory and gustatory disorders.