Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36766771›Full record

SynthesisCells2023

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

Christopher S von Bartheld, Lingchen Wang

Open access · goldAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Cells, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 36 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
36citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
12.0field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

36 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 59 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Review
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Omicron Impacts Olfaction in Hamsters.FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology · 2025
    Article
  12. Review
  13. Article
  14. Factors Associated With Persisting Olfactory Dysfunction After COVID-19.Clinical otolaryngology : official journal of ENT-UK ; official journal of Netherlands Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology & Cervico-Facial Surgery · 2025
    Article
  15. Article
  16. Observational
  17. Review
  18. Review
  19. Mechanisms of COVID-19-associated olfactory dysfunction.Neuropathology and applied neurobiology · 2024
    Review
  20. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Christopher S von BartheldDepartment of Physiology and Cell Biology, Reno School of Medicine, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557-0352, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-2716-6601
Lingchen WangSchool of Public Health, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557-0275, USA.
University of Nevada, Reno · US

Funding

Cell Biology of Signaling across MembranesP20GM103554 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA RENO · PI VON BARTHELD, CHRISTOPHER S · 2012 to 2016
$8.0M
NIGMS NIH HHS P20 GM103554
6 · The paper itself

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 regarding regional differences in prevalence as well as an estimate of the global prevalence of olfactory dysfunction based on 62 studies reporting information 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 considered, the global prevalence of omicron-induced olfactory dysfunction in adults is estimated to be 3.7%. Omicron's effect on olfaction is twofold to tenfold lower than that of the alpha or delta variants according to previous meta-analyses and our analysis of studies that directly compared the prevalence of olfactory dysfunction between omicron and previous variants. The profile of the prevalence differences between ethnicities mirrors the results of a recent genome-wide association study that connected a gene locus encoding an odorant-metabolizing enzyme, UDP glycosyltransferase, to the extent of COVID-19-related loss of smell. Our analysis is consistent with the hypothesis that this enzyme contributes to the observed population differences.

Indexed as

COVID-19Olfaction DisordersAdultGenome-Wide Association StudyHumansPrevalenceSARS-CoV-2SmellanosmiaCOVID-19ethnicityhost factorloss of smellomicronprevalenceSARS-CoV-2UDP glycosyltransferaseUGT2A1

Identifiers

PMID36766771
PMCPMC9913864
OpenAlexW4318482102

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.