Anosmia in SARS-CoV-2: Clinical significance and management

ABSTRACT

Unquestionably the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has become the biggest health concern globally for the past two years and an end to it is not in sight. The disease has a plethora of clinical features, but we decided to concentrate on a particular one-anosmia. The aim of this paper is to give a general introduction of the symptom-its prevalence, diagnostic significance, clinical outlines, management issues and financial and quallity of life impact and share our own experience managing 52 patients with similar symptoms using intranasal or oral corticosteroids and olfactory training. A comprehensive search was conducted using several electronic databases extracting relevant information regarding Covid-19 positive patients with anosmia. The included studies were published between March 2021 and October 2021. We found out that Covid-associated loss of smell is more frquent in females and an age under the age of 30. Ressolution of long term anosmia is achieved in over 80 % of cases. As newer information shines light on this topic it gives a better understanding of the pandemic. Introducing it in the general clinical presentation may help to curb the pandemic progression and present an understanding of long-term consequences of Covid-19.