Symptoms: loss of taste or smell

PH3763 / 8905

OpenSAFELY

Jan 26, 2026

OpenCodelists Phenotype

  1. Overview

    Codelist ID
    opensafely/symptoms-loss-of-taste-or-smell
    Version ID
    19c46b98
    Coding System
    SNOMED CT codes
    Collections
    OpenCodelistPhenotype Library
    Tags
    No data

  2. Definition

    This codelist was taken from OpenCodelists, created by OpenSAFELY. We recommend viewing this Phenotype on the OpenCodelist website to view the most recent version.

    Code list aiming to identify individuals consulting complaining of loss or change in taste and/or smell.

    © University of Oxford for the Bennett Institute for Applied Data Science 2025. This work may be copied freely for non-commercial research and study.

  3. Methodology

    Identified from intial search terms outside of OpenCodelists: "taste" "smell" "anosmia" "hyposmia" ageusia" "hypogeusia" "olfact" parageusia" "odour" "odor"

    Clearly irrelevant codes excluded (with review by a second clinician)

    Candidate codelist reviewed outside OpenCodelists by two clinicians. As we reviewed our candidate codelist outside openCodelists, we did not benefit from the tree structures that might have identified additional codes. However, we assume that these are likely to be codes that are not used frequently, e.g., eponymous syndromes.

    Retained codes related to disordered taste/smell (as well as absent taste/smell) as there are reports of continuing change in taste/smell post COVID. Excluded all secondary taste/smell disorders, as indicate known cause. Retained codes relating to taste loss in anterior/posterior thirds of the tongue, as unclear yet whether taste loss post covid is related to neurological pathology.

  4. References

    Source Reference

    https://www.opencodelists.org/codelist/opensafely/symptoms-loss-of-taste-or-smell/19c46b98

  5. Clinical Codelist

  6. API

    To Export Phenotype Details:

    FormatAPI
    JSON site_root/api/v1/phenotypes/PH3763/version/8905/detail/?format=json
    R Package

    # Download here

    library(ConceptLibraryClient)


    # Connect to API

    client = ConceptLibraryClient::Connection$new(public=TRUE)


    # Get details of Phenotype

    phenotype_details = client$phenotypes$get_detail(
     'PH3763',
     version_id=8905
    )

    Py Package

    # Download here

    from pyconceptlibraryclient import Client


    # Connect to API

    client = Client(public=True)


    # Get details of Phenotype

    phenotype_detail = client.phenotypes.get_detail(
     'PH3763',
     version_id=8905
    )

    To Export Phenotype Code List:

    FormatAPI
    JSON site_root/api/v1/phenotypes/PH3763/version/8905/export/codes/?format=json
    R Package

    # Download here

    library(ConceptLibraryClient)


    # Connect to API

    client = ConceptLibraryClient::Connection$new(public=TRUE)


    # Get codelist of Phenotype

    phenotype_codelist = client$phenotypes$get_codelist(
     'PH3763',
     version_id=8905
    )

    Py Package

    # Download here

    from pyconceptlibraryclient import Client


    # Connect to API

    client = Client(public=True)


    # Get codelist of Phenotype

    phenotype_codelist = client.phenotypes.get_codelist(
     'PH3763',
     version_id=8905
    )

  7. Version History

    Version IDNameOwnerPublish date
    Symptoms: loss of taste or smell ieuan.scanlon2026-01-26 23:33