Prevalence of Olfactory Dysfunction with the Omicron Variant of SARS-CoV-2: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

ABSTRACT: The omicron variant is thought to cause less olfactory dysfunction than previous variants of SARS-CoV-2, but the reported prevalence differs greatly between populations and studies. Our systematic review and meta-analysis provide information about regional differences in prevalence as well as an estimate of the global prevalence of olfactory dysfunction based on 62 studies reporting on 626,035 patients infected with the omicron variant. Our estimate of the omicron-induced prevalence of olfactory dysfunction in populations of European ancestry is 11.7%, while it is significantly lower in all other populations, ranging between 1.9% and 4.9%. When ethnic differences and population sizes are taken into account, the global prevalence of omicron-induced olfactory dysfunction in adults is estimat

SUBMITTER: von Bartheld CS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9774228 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature