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).