Introduction
The SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19 disease, is a
single-stranded RNA virus and is transmitted via droplets. After the
disease was first seen in China, it was declared as a pandemic by the
World Health Organization (WHO) as it spread rapidly throughout the
world. The SARS-CoV-2 virus has significant morbidity and the mortality
rate is estimated at approximately 3.4%. Especially in geriatric
patients, mortality reaches 6.5-10% (1). The characteristic infection
caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus is the interstitial lung disease in which
diffuse chronic inflammation occurs. Dyspnea, muscle-joint pain, fever
and cough are the most common symptoms in patients. In some patients, it
becomes more severe, developing Acute respiratory distress syndrome
(ARDS), which can lead to acute lung failure and death afterward (1).
The sudden onset anosmia seen in COVID-19 patients is a distinctive
feature from other viral infections, and its incidence has been reported
to be between 30-88% (2,3). It is pointed out that isolated sudden
onset anosmia may be the only sign of COVID-19 infection without any
other symptoms and these patients can transmit the disease to a large
number of people. Recently, it has been reported that smell and taste
disorders may be the first and sometimes additional symptoms of the
disease. (4). Although it is stated that different cranial nerves may
also be retained due to the possible neurotropic properties of the
SARS-CoV-2 virus, the number of SARS-CoV-2 positive patients presenting
with cranial nerve neuropathy in the literature is very low (4).