Olfactory dysfunction and SARS-CoV2

Infection with a new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), the first case of which was described on December 8, 2019 in Wuhan, led the WHO to recognize the development of a considerable pandemic (COVID-19) marked by the importance of smell disorders. The prevalence and evolutionary profile of smell disorders vary according to the type of SARS-CoV-2 variant. With the first D614G mutation (Wuhan), the dysosmia prevalence was evaluated between 48% and 61%, dropping to less than 15% with the omicron variant. The evolution of olfactory loss is favorable in nearly 95% of cases after two years of evolution. The sequelae are marked, in addition to anosmia, by the frequency of parosmia. No treatment has really shown any effectiveness. The pathophysiology is dominated by damage to the olfactory neuroepithelium. The clinical profile of dysosmias linked to SARS-CoV-2 is similar to that of the classic post-viral anosmias known before COVID-19.