A new research aims to quantify a life-changing aftereffect of covid-19: a loss of smell. According to the study, up to 1.6 million people in the U.S. have experienced chronic anosmia after contracting coronaviruses.
Respiratory viral infections like covid-19 can cause Anosmia. It took some time for anosmia to be recognized as a symptom of covid-19. The loss of smell is accompanied by a loss of taste. Parosmia is a distorted sense of smell that can cause everyday smells to smell like trash, sewage, or other putrid odors.
Up to 80% of sufferers of covid-19 can develop some level of anosmia, according to studies. Research shows that most people can regain their sense of smell in two weeks. Even a relatively rare complication like long-term anosmia can still affect a lot of people, since so many people have contracted covid-19.
The authors were compelled to study the issue after seeing many of these patients
Jay Piccirillo, an otolaryngologist at Washington University in St. Louis and an editor at the Journal of the American Medical Association, told Gizmodo that he and his colleagues noticed a dramatic increase in the number of patients seeking medical attention.
Projections of covid-19's spread, the odds of someone developing anosmia from infection, and the likelihood of chronic anosmia were used by Piccirillo and his team to estimate a range of cases. In the most likely scenarios, between one and 1.6 million Americans have experienced a loss or change in their sense of smell as a result of covid-19 so far, they found. No specific numbers are available for those who have parosmia. Many more Americans may contract covid-19 in the months to come, and it is possible these numbers are an underestimate.
There are treatments that are thought to improve a person's chances of recovering from covid-related anosmia, such as smell training, and there are clinical trials ongoing now that are testing out experimental treatments. The odds of recovery are slim for those who have trouble smelling things months down the road.
Most cases of anosmia resolve within two weeks. It is not good for long-term olfactory function. Piccirillo said that less than 20% of people can recover smell after 6 months. About 5% of anosmia cases will lose their sense of smell permanently.
There have been many direct and indirect impacts of the Pandemic. One of the consequences of infections is permanent anosmia. A recent study by French researchers found that anosmia is the long-term symptom most likely to be associated with a lab-confirmed case of covid-19. Many people won't be able to enjoy a delicious meal or the familiar scent of their loved ones after the end of the Pandemic.
