Covid: Millions still do not know the smell and taste

Millions of people who were infected early with COVID-19 have lost their sense of smell and taste, and many of them still have those symptoms.

Among Americans who have contracted the virus, nearly two-thirds have lost all or part of their sense of smell or taste, according to new research. StadyHe writes luck.

I haven’t regained my sense of smell

according to Neil BhattacharyaAnd Professor of Otolaryngology at Mass Eye Ear of Harvard University, and one of the study’s authors, Dr.Most have regained their senses but nearly 6 million Americans still have residual symptoms.

In the study, researchers examined data from nearly 30,000 American adults who were asked about symptoms of COVID-19 disease in 2021.

After recovering from the disease, nearly 75 percent reported regaining their sense of smell, but nearly 24 percent had not fully recovered and more than 3 percent had not regained their sense of smell by the end of 2021.

It can cause weight loss and depression

The researchers found that the more severe the symptoms of Covid-19 disease on a person, the more likely he is to lose taste and smell, and the less likely he is to regain those senses.

You might think these symptoms are benign, but Neil Bhattacharya explains that they can lead to reduced eating and, in extreme cases, to weight loss and depression.

Those who suffer from these sensory imbalances cannot fully enjoy food resulting in a reduced quality of life.

It can also be downright dangerous

It can also be dangerous because they cannot detect dangerous odors such as a gas leak, the smell of smoke, or rotting food.

For those who work with food, such as chefs or bartenders, the disability also interferes with their work.

One of Neil Bhattacharya’s patients lost nearly 23 kilograms due to loss of smell after contracting the virus.

“The patient did not eat and became very ill and very depressed,” Fortune said.

He says that without these senses, food does not taste good and that something patients often say is that food tastes like cardboard.

Many researchers do not know

Many people think these symptoms will get better on their own, but for many they don’t.

There is still much that scientists don’t know, such as why Covid affects these senses in some but not others, or if this is the case, and when, patients can expect to regain their senses.

It appears that the longer a person has had these symptoms, the more likely it is that they won’t go away, says Neil Patacharias.

There is no standard treatment

According to him, there is currently no standard treatment for these patients, but he urges those who have them to contact the healthcare system. Then they enter the system if a treatment becomes available.

The study reinforces the arguments in favor of vaccination against COVID-19. The good news for those who did not develop these symptoms is that after infection with later variants of the virus, it is no longer common to lose the sense of smell and taste.

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