International Journal of Infectious Diseases, 2023 · DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijid.2023.01.017 · Published: January 10, 2023
This study investigated the prevalence and severity of smell and taste alterations (STAs) in patients infected with the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2. It also examined the correlation between these alterations and initial symptoms, as well as the protective role of vaccination. The study found that the prevalence of STAs remained relatively constant during the Omicron dominance. However, the severity of STAs was reduced, and vaccination showed a protective effect against developing these alterations. The research suggests that the presence of STAs could be an important indicator of the virus invading the nervous system. Patients with initial symptoms like headache and muscle pain were more likely to develop STAs.
Continued public health attention is required due to the high contagiousness of the Omicron variant, despite its reported lower severity, because the large patient base exposes more people to complications like olfactory and gustatory dysfunction.
Consideration of smell and taste alterations as part of the screening and diagnostic approaches for COVID-19 could improve early detection rates and curtail the spread of the virus.
Further exploration is needed to understand the possibility of early intervention to reduce the prevalence and protect neurological function, given that altered smell or taste is likely an important indication of viral invasion into the nervous system.