Case Report
A 32-year-old man physician complained of constantly ”smelling onions and garlic” after his one week of COVID-19 diagnosis. On the 7th December 2021, the patient developed a low-grade fever, seemed weak and fatigued and was diagnosed with COVID-19 on 9th December 2021. On August 18th, 2021, he finished his second dosage of the COVID-19 vaccination (Moderna). The patients stated that the mysterious odor perception persisted till December 20, 2021. Even though the food was not made with onion or garlic, the patient smelled onion and garlic odors in it. He also detects these scents in fruits. The patient had difficulties eating due to nausea caused by an overabundance of onion and garlic odors, which was impacting his quality of life. While eating, the patient inquired if the mysterious odors could be detected by anyone nearby, but all other family members denied any onion or garlic odors. He denied having taste disturbances, nasal congestion, a runny nose or post-nasal discharge and he had never had a sinus infection. On physiological parameters, physical examination and the cranial nerves II–Xll were normal, with no facial weakness or asymmetry. The motor examinations of the upper and lower extremities were normal. WBC 7.44 x 109/L, Hgb 14.6 g/dl, hematocrit 45.0 percent, and platelet count 272 x 109/L were unremarkable in the clinical laboratory. Furthermore, the patients had never previously experienced phantosmia. There was no history of chronic disease, chronic drug use, maxillofacial trauma, or surgery. On December 21, 2021, while eating an egg and banana breakfast, the patient observed that the onion and garlic odors had vanished. Since then, he hasn’t been getting the unpleasant onion and garlic flavors in everything he eats. He does not take any drugs for his phantosmia, such as carbamazepine, and it goes away within a few days. Because the strange odor dissipated quickly, he decided not to get a CT scan or MRI of the brain.