Neck injection may restore smell in long COVID patients
NCT ID NCT05445921
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This pilot study tested whether a stellate ganglion block—a numbing injection near a nerve cluster in the neck—can help people who lost their sense of smell after COVID-19. Twenty adults with smell problems lasting at least a year received the injection. Researchers measured changes in smell function and overall improvement. The goal was to gather early safety and effectiveness data.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
Active substance
mepivacaine (a numbing medicine injected near a nerve cluster in the neck)
What this could lead to
If it works, this could point toward a treatment for smell loss and other long COVID symptoms like fatigue and brain fog.
What could go wrong
This is a very small pilot study with only 20 people and no placebo group, so results may not be reliable or apply to everyone. The injection carries risks like bleeding, infection, or nerve damage.
Disclaimer
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the original study
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Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.
This is a summary of the original study . Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
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Locations
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Washington University School of Medicine/Barnes Jewish Hospital
St Louis, Missouri, 63110, United States