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.