Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2020 Nov-Dec;71(6):379-385.
doi: 10.1016/j.otorri.2020.04.003. Epub 2020 May 11.

[Olfactory dysfunction in COVID-19, a review of the evidence and implications for pandemic management]

[Article in Spanish]
Joan Lop Gros  1 , Mar Iglesias Coma  2 , Mónica González Farré  2 , Consol Serra Pujadas  3
Affiliations

[Olfactory dysfunction in COVID-19, a review of the evidence and implications for pandemic management]

[Article in Spanish]
Joan Lop Gros et al. Acta Otorrinolaringol Esp (Engl Ed). 2020 Nov-Dec.

Abstract

There is debate as to whether olfactory dysfunction should be considered a symptom of COVID-19 infection, given the implications for managing the symptom itself, for diagnostic testing, and for implementing isolation measures. We undertook a systematic literature review of the articles indexed in PubMed on olfactory disorders in viral respiratory tract conditions, with special emphasis on COVID-19. The main objective was to find evidence of clinical interest to support the relationship between anosmia and COVID-19. Olfactory disorders in upper respiratory tract infections are frequent, most caused by obstruction due to oedema of the nasal mucosa. Occasionally, post-viral sensorineural olfactory dysfunction occurs, with a variable prognosis. The evidence on anosmia in COVID-19 patients is extremely limited, corresponding to a level 5 or D of the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine. According to the various medical societies that have issued reports on the subject, it seems reasonable to apply isolation, hygiene and social distancing measures in patients with recent olfactory disorders as the only symptom, although the usefulness of diagnostic tests for this type of patient should be studied.

Keywords: Anosmia; COVID 19; Post-viral olfactory dysfunction.

PubMed Disclaimer

Comment in

  • Do young women with COVID-19 have a higher risk of presenting olfactory dysfunction?
    Vergara-de la Rosa E, Aguilar-Urbina EW, Gálvez-Olortegui J. Vergara-de la Rosa E, et al. Acta Otorrinolaringol Esp (Engl Ed). 2022 Jan-Feb;73(1):66-67. doi: 10.1016/j.otoeng.2022.01.002. Epub 2022 Jan 24. Acta Otorrinolaringol Esp (Engl Ed). 2022. PMID: 35190092 Free PMC article. No abstract available.
  • The aftermath of COVID-19: between anosmia and ageusia.
    Medina Gamero A, Regalado Chamorro M, Guillen Rojas N. Medina Gamero A, et al. Acta Otorrinolaringol Esp (Engl Ed). 2022 May-Jun;73(3):200. doi: 10.1016/j.otoeng.2021.07.003. Epub 2022 Mar 3. Acta Otorrinolaringol Esp (Engl Ed). 2022. PMID: 35577438 Free PMC article. No abstract available.

References

    1. O’Donovan J., Tanveer S., Jones N., Hopkins C., Senior B.A., Wise S.K., et al. What is the evidence for anosmia (loss of smell) as a clinical feature of COVID-19? Available from: https://www.cebm.net/covid-19/what-is-the-evidence-for-anosmia-loss-of-s....
    1. Ling Y., Shu S.B., Lin Y.X., Tian D., Zhu Z.Q., Dai F.H., et al. Persistence and clearance of viral RNA in 2019 novel coronavirus disease rehabilitation patients. Chin Med J (Engl). 2020;0:1. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Holbrook E.H., Leopold D.A. An updated review of clinical olfaction. Curr Opin Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2006;14:23–28. - PubMed
    1. Holbrook E.H., Leopold D.A. Anosmia: diagnosis and management. Curr Opin Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2003;11:54–60. - PubMed
    1. Doty R.L. Office procedures for quantitative assessment of olfactory function. Am J Rhinol. 2007;21:460–473. - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms