ABSTRACT

Background and purpose:

The current study aimed to examine the effect of sniffing Turkish coffee on the sense of smell in COVID-19 patients.

Methods:

This study utilized the experiment-control method. Data were collected using a patient and disease information form and the Connecticut Chemosensory Clinical Research Center (CCCRC) Test. An experimental group of patients sniffed Turkish coffee, and the coffee’s effect on the patients’ sense of smell was examined. All data were analyzed using SPSS version 25 (IBM).

Results:

Of the patients in the experimental group, 25% had moderate hyposmia, 58.3% had severe hyposmia, and 16.7% had anosmia prior to sniffing Turkish coffee. After sniffing the Turkish coffee, 13.3% of these patients regained their ability to smell normally, while 18.3% had mild hyposmia, 45% had moderate hyposmia, 6.7% had severe hyposmia, and 16.7% had anosmia. There was no difference in the control group between first and second measurement.

Conclusion:

COVID-19 patients who sniffed Turkish coffee intermittently regained some of their sense of smell for one hour. Turkish coffee is cheap, fragrant, widely available, and easy to access. Therefore, results of this study suggest that it may be recommended for treating olfactory disorder in COVID-19 patients.