Loss of smell is one of the most common symptoms of prolonged Covid, according to a new study. According to research, it reveals that almost a third of Covid patients suffer from a persistent loss of smell and almost a fifth suffer from a loss of taste.
A team from the University of East Anglia (UEA), UK, investigated the prevalence of prolonged Covid illness, and in particular symptoms related to the ear, nose and throat, such as loss of smell and parosmia, where people experience a strange and often unpleasant distortion of smell. The findings were published in the journal International Forum of Allergy and Rhinology.
“Long Covid is a complex condition that develops during or after illness with Covid and is classified as such when symptoms persist for more than 12 weeks,” said lead researcher Carl Philpott, UEA. “Symptoms include headache, myalgia, fatigue, and loss of taste and smell. Parosmia can persist for months after the initial infection, along with brain fog and memory loss. “We wanted to find out more about the prevalence of long-term Covid disease, and particularly ear, nose and throat symptoms such as loss of smell and parosmia,” Philpott said.
The team looked at the results of the UK’s coronavirus infection survey and analyzed information from more than 3,60,000 people in March 2022. The study reported that a total of 10,431 participants were identified as suffering from a long-term Covid illness and were asked about the presence of 23 individual symptoms and the impact of the condition on their daily activities. Self-reported prolonged Covid was defined as symptoms persisting for more than four weeks after first suspected coronavirus infection, but unexplained by another condition.
“We found that nearly three per cent of participants self-identified as having long-term covid, and if we scaled this up to reflect the UK population, that would equate to around 1.8 million people,” Philpott said. We found that fatigue was the most common symptom, while ENT-related symptoms included loss of smell and taste, vertigo, shortness of breath, wheezing and sore throat. “Nearly a third of self-reported Covid patients suffered permanent loss of smell and almost a fifth still experienced loss of taste.
“This is really significant because we know that loss of smell and taste really affects people’s lives. Our previous research has shown that people who have lost their sense of smell also report high levels of depression, anxiety, isolation and relationship problems.” “It can disrupt almost every aspect of life – from daily worries about personal hygiene to the loss of sexual intimacy and the breakdown of personal relationships.
“Christmas in particular can be a difficult time. So our celebration is largely based on festive smells and tastes – from the smell of the tree and mulled wine to the taste of Christmas dinner, mince pies and chocolates. Long Covid is a growing problem in the UK and we need to focus resources on supporting people with loss of smell and taste following a Covid infection,” Philpott said. The research was led by the University of East Anglia in partnership with the charity Fifth Sense, which represents people with impaired smell and taste.
