• Afnan F Bukhari, Moayyad Malas, Kamal Hanbazazah, and Faisal Zawawi.
• From the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (Bukhari, Malas, Hanbazazah, Zawawi), King Abdulaziz University, and from the Department of Otolaryngology and Surgery (Malas), King Khaled Hospital, Ministry of National Guard, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
• Saudi Med J. 2022 Dec 1; 43 (12): 135413621354-1362.

ObjectivesTo investigate the impact of olfactory dysfunction's (OD) on patients with coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) and evaluate the risk factors associated with it.MethodsThis cross-sectional study analyzed patients who tested positive for COVID-19 over a period of 4 months (May-July 2020) and experienced OD and mild illness. Selected patients were given 2 scales Olfactory Disorders Negative Statement (QOD-NS) and Sino-nasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22).ResultsA total of 256 patients were enrolled, out of which 196 had anosmia after COVID-19 infection. More than 75% of the participants were aged between 20-40 years and 64.3% were women. The mean score of the patients was 25.13 (SD 19.6) on the SNOT-22, while it was 4.9 (SD 4.85) on the QOD-NS. There was no association between anosmia and other comorbidities and factors (age, smoking history, allergic rhinitis history, asthma, and so on). Only 39% of patients who had anosmia after COVID-19 recovered in less than 4 months.ConclusionOlfactory dysfunction is a common symptom of COVID-19 infection and it can take more than 4 months to recover. Nevertheless, this cohort reports a moderate impact on their quality of life due to anosmia.Copyright: © Saudi Medical Journal.

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