Therapeutic Efficacy of Nasal Corticosteroids in COVID‐19‐Related Olfactory Dysfunction: A Comprehensive Systematic Review and Meta‐analysis

Objective Olfactory disturbance is one of the main symptoms of coronavirus disease‐2019 (COVID‐19). Various olfactory disorders caused by viral infections are treated with nasal corticosteroids. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of nasal corticosteroids in the treatment of olfactory disorders caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Data Sources We searched the Web of Science, Embase, PubMed, and Cochrane Library databases for clinical trials of nasal corticosteroids for treating COVID‐19 olfactory dysfunction. Review Methods We assessed the effect of nasal corticosteroids on olfactory function in COVID‐19‐affected individuals using a Meta‐analysis of published studies, considering the number of patients who fully recovered from olfactory dysfunction, olfactory scores following treatment, and olfactory recovery time. Results Seven studies involving 930 patients were analyzed. The Meta‐analysis results revealed that the olfactory score of the experimental group was 1.40 points higher than that of the control group (standardized mean difference [MD]: 1.40, 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 0.34‐2.47, P