ArticleRhinology2022
A follow-up on quantitative and qualitative olfactory dysfunction and other symptoms in patients recovering from COVID-19 smell loss.
Article in Rhinology, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 64 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
64 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 85 citations in OpenAlex.
- Efficacy of Omega-3 supplementation in olfactory dysfunction: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials.BMC nutrition · 2025Pooled it
- Pooled it
- A systematic review of the biological mediators of fat taste and smell.Physiological reviews · 2023Pooled it
- Effect of Olfactory Training in COVID-19 Related Olfactory Dysfunction-A Placebo-Controlled Trial.The Laryngoscope · 2025Trial
- Prednisolone does not improve olfactory function after COVID-19: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.BMC medicine · 2022Trial
- Classical and Speech Therapy Olfactory Training in the Treatment of COVID-19-Related Olfactory Disorders.Medical science monitor : international medical journal of experimental and clinical research · 2026Article
- Unique and shared patterns of chemosensory dysfunction distinguish chronic COVID-19 and aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease.Annals of allergy, asthma & immunology : official publication of the American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology · 2026Article
- "I Can Taste It, But Sometimes It's Disgusting" Cross-sectional Study on the Influence of SARS-CoV-2 Infections, Both Acute and Postinfection, in Comparison to Other Respiratory Infections on Taste and Smell Perception.The Pediatric infectious disease journal · 2026Article
- The Need to Promote Olfactory Health in Public Health Agendas Across the Globe.Clinical otolaryngology : official journal of ENT-UK ; official journal of Netherlands Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology & Cervico-Facial Surgery · 2026Review
- Parosmia: Pathophysiology and Management.Current allergy and asthma reports · 2025Review
- Determinants of persistence and recovery of chronic coronavirus disease 2019 chemosensory dysfunction.The Journal of allergy and clinical immunology · 2025Article
- Sensory effects of COVID-19 in wine professionals.PloS one · 2025Article
- Persistent Post-COVID-19 Olfactory Dysfunction and Its Association with Autonomic Nervous System Function: A Case-Control Study.Diseases (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- The long-term effect of COVID-19 infection on olfaction and taste; a prospective analysis.European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2024Observational
- Article
- Olfactory event-related potentials (OERPs) and trigeminal event-related potentials (TERPs) in subjects after Covid-19 infection: single-center prospective study.Journal of applied biomedicine · 2024Article
- Systems Thinking, Causal Loop Diagram, and Systems Dynamic in Public Health Challenges: Navigating Long COVID Syndrome and Sense of Smell in LGBTQIA+ Communities.Public health challenges · 2024Review
- Review
- Impact of olfactory disorders on personal safety and well-being: a cross-sectional observational study.European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2024Observational
- COVID-19-related chemosensory changes: Findings from a prospective national database.World journal of otorhinolaryngology - head and neck surgery · 2024Article
4 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
41 authors at 20 institutions in 14 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundSudden smell loss is a specific early symptom of COVID-19, which, prior to the emergence of Omicron, had estimated prevalence of ~40% to 75%. Chemosensory impairments affect physical and mental health, and dietary behavior. Thus, it is critical to understand the rate and time course of smell recovery. The aim of this cohort study was to characterize smell function and recovery up to 11 months post COVID-19 infection.
methodsThis longitudinal survey of individuals suffering COVID-19-related smell loss assessed disease symptoms and gustatory and olfactory function. Participants (n=12,313) who completed an initial survey (S1) about respiratory symptoms, chemosensory function and COVID-19 diagnosis between April and September 2020, were invited to complete a follow-up survey (S2). Between September 2020 and February 2021, 27.5% participants responded (n=3,386), with 1,468 being diagnosed with COVID-19 and suffering co-occurring smell and taste loss at the beginning of their illness.
resultsAt follow-up (median time since COVID-19 onset ~200 days), ~60% of women and ~48% of men reported less than 80% of their pre-illness smell ability. Taste typically recovered faster than smell, and taste loss rarely persisted if smell recovered. Prevalence of parosmia and phantosmia was ~10% of participants in S1 and increased substantially in S2: ~47% for parosmia and ~25% for phantosmia. Persistent smell impairment was associated with more symptoms overall, suggesting it may be a key marker of long-COVID illness. The ability to smell during COVID-19 was rated slightly lower by those who did not eventually recover their pre-illness ability to smell at S2.
conclusionsWhile smell ability improves for many individuals who lost it during acute COVID-19, the prevalence of parosmia and phantosmia increases substantially over time. Olfactory dysfunction is associated with broader persistent symptoms of COVID-19, and may last for many months following acute COVID-19. Taste loss in the absence of smell loss is rare. Persistent qualitative smell symptoms are emerging as common long-term sequelae; more research into treatment options is strongly warranted given that even conservative estimates suggest millions of individuals may experience parosmia following COVID-19. Healthcare providers worldwide need to be prepared to treat post COVID-19 secondary effects on physical and mental health.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.