Impact of COVID-19-Mediated Olfactory Loss on Quality of Life.

Introduction: COVID-19 can be associated with a variety of longer-lasting impairments that can have a significant impact on patients' quality of life (QoL). While this is well described in the literature for limitations in lung capacity or permanent headaches, there is little research on the impact of olfactory dysfunction in the context of COVID-19 on patients' QoL.

Methods: In 65 patients with a history of COVID-19, the present olfactory ability was assessed using the Sniffin' Sticks test.

Patients with COVID-19-associated olfactory impairment also show impaired trigeminal function.

Objective: Next to olfactory function, the nose can also perceive chemestetic sensations mediated by the trigeminal nerve. While olfactory dysfunction as a symptom of COVID-19 is well described, there has been little research on the limitation of other nasal sensory inputs due to SARS-CoV-2 infection. The aim of this study was to determine possible limitations of nasal chemesthesis after COVID-19 infection by a psychophysiological diagnostic tool.

Persisting olfactory dysfunction improves in patients 6 months after COVID-19 disease.

Background: Smell disorders persist in about half of the patients with other symptoms of COVID-19 disease, but the exact duration of the symptoms is yet unknown. Especially, only a few studies used validated olfactory tests for this.

Aims/objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate how many patients with olfactory function impairment, which was detected in a validated olfactory test 3 months after COVID-19 disease, showed improvement in olfactory function after 6 months.