How COVID-19 brought smell disorders in the spotlight

The rapid spread of the COVID-19 infection required prompt recognition and immediate isolation of patients. In the evolution of the disease various symptoms were indicated as suggestive of a SARS-CoV-2 infection, among them being also described anosmia and ageusia. In order to review how olfactory disorders are related to COVID-19 disease, we carried out an analysis by searching PubMed, Science Direct, Springer, and LILACS. The research was made using MeSH descriptors and the Boolean operator, “AND”, for the terms “olfactory disorders” or “olfactory dysfunction” or “anosmia” or “neurologic manifestations” or “ENT symptoms” AND “COVID-19” or “SARS-CoV-2” or “coronavirus infections”, with a filter on the publication date set for 01.01.2020 – 18.06.2021. A total of 956 articles were found in the databases, out of which 14 were included in the study. The statistics suggest that alterations of the chemosensory function are strongly correlated with COVID-19, although the exact pathophysiologic mechanism is not well established. Symptomatology suggestive of chemosensory dys-function (smell primarily and then taste alterations) elevate the degree of suspicion of a SARS-CoV-2 infection and they commend prompt isolation and surveillance measurements.