{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,15]],"date-time":"2026-10-15T21:07:27Z","timestamp":1792098447436,"version":"4.4.0"},"reference-count":24,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2020,8,6]],"date-time":"2020-08-06T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1596672000000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.sagepub.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Ear Nose Throat J"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2020,11]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>COVID-19 is a zoonotic illness caused by a new strain of coronavirus and has recently been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization, with an estimated fatality rate of 1% to 2%. Early identification and isolation of patients in the preliminary infective stage has been a mainstay of most governmental strategies in order to limit transmission. Four otherwise healthy patients presented to a specialist open access Ear, Nose &amp; Throat Clinic in central London with acute total or subtotal loss of their sense of smell in a single one-week period, coinciding with rapid escalation of COVID-19 infection in the indigenous population. The diagnosis was confirmed by the validated University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT) in 3. Endoscopic examination and magnetic resonance imaging (2 cases) excluded a range of alternative potential pathological conditions. Covid-19 antibody testing carried out 6 to 8 weeks after the onset of nasal symptoms showed positive immunoglobulin G antibodies in 3 of the 4 patients. Acute severe anosmia is therefore almost certainly an unusual presenting local nasal feature of a COVID-19 viral infection. All 4 patients achieved significant partial olfactory recovery by one week after treatment with subjective ratings of 40% to 85% of normal (mean 60%) and complete olfaction recovery after 2 to 3 weeks in all 4 patients. The significance, possible pathogenesis, and public health implications are highlighted and discussed.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1177\/0145561320940119","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2020,8,6]],"date-time":"2020-08-06T15:31:25Z","timestamp":1596727885000},"page":"94-98","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":10,"title":["Acute Olfactory Dysfunction\u2014A Primary Presentation of COVID-19 Infection"],"prefix":"10.1177","volume":"99","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9233-1701","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Natalie R. 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