Prevalence of Olfactory Dysfunction with the Omicron Variant of SARS-CoV-2: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Cells
; 12(3)2023 01 28.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2215623
ABSTRACT
The omicron variant is thought to cause less olfactory dysfunction than previous variants of SARS-CoV-2, but the reported prevalence differs greatly between populations and studies. Our systematic review and meta-analysis provide information regarding regional differences in prevalence as well as an estimate of the global prevalence of olfactory dysfunction based on 62 studies reporting information on 626,035 patients infected with the omicron variant. Our estimate of the omicron-induced prevalence of olfactory dysfunction in populations of European ancestry is 11.7%, while it is significantly lower in all other populations, ranging between 1.9% and 4.9%. When ethnic differences and population sizes are considered, the global prevalence of omicron-induced olfactory dysfunction in adults is estimated to be 3.7%. Omicron's effect on olfaction is twofold to tenfold lower than that of the alpha or delta variants according to previous meta-analyses and our analysis of studies that directly compared the prevalence of olfactory dysfunction between omicron and previous variants. The profile of the prevalence differences between ethnicities mirrors the results of a recent genome-wide association study that connected a gene locus encoding an odorant-metabolizing enzyme, UDP glycosyltransferase, to the extent of COVID-19-related loss of smell. Our analysis is consistent with the hypothesis that this enzyme contributes to the observed population differences.
Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
COVID-19
/
Olfaction Disorders
Type of study:
Observational study
/
Reviews
/
Systematic review/Meta Analysis
Topics:
Variants
Limits:
Adult
/
Humans
Language:
English
Year:
2023
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Cells12030430
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