Got Infected With COVID-19? Half Of First-Wave Cases May Experience Permanent Loss Of Smell

Swedish researchers have found that people who were infected during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic may have a long-lasting loss of smell.

Third-year into the COVID-19 pandemic and people are still experiencing the aftermath of the first wave. Early in the pandemic, health experts warned patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 to notice if they have lost their sense of smell after being affected by the virus. Sense of smell was a prominent symptom of the COVID-19 of the disease during its initial phase. Doctors suspected that COVID-related "peripheral inflammation" of nerves important for the olfactory function is to blame in some cases. However, as months passed and many patients failed to regain their sense of smell, several doctors began to fear that the loss was irreversible.

According to the Guardian, experts at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm conducted extensive testing on 100 people who contracted Covid in the first wave of the COVID pandemic in 2020.

COVID-19 Infected May Experience Long-Lasting Loss Of Smell

Preliminary research from Sweden has found that about half of those infected with Covid-19 during the initial wave of the pandemic may experience long-term and potentially permanent abnormalities in their sense of smell. The findings of the study, which has yet to be peer-reviewed, showed that 18 months after recovering from Covid, 4 per cent of all participants had completely lost their sense of smell. However, a third of the participants had trouble detecting odours, and nearly half of them exhibited parosmia or a distorted sense of smell.

According to the findings, 65 per cent of those who recovered from Covid had a loss of smell, a diminished sense of smell, or sensory distortions 18 months after the infection, compared to just 20 per cent of those who had not received the virus.

According to the UK Health Security Agency, Omicron sufferers are less than half as likely as Delta sufferers to lose their sense of smell or taste. However, according to Johan Lundstrom, who headed the research at the Karolinska Institute, "there is no convincing data proving that Omicron is less hazardous to the olfactory system."

Loss Of Smell May Even Trigger Unwanted Cravings

According to Lundstrom, a severe loss of smell can lead to despair and people changing their diets, frequently for the worse, causing them to gain weight. He stated "When you cannot smell, all you can sense is the five basic taste qualities, tactile sensations and spices. Unconsciously, people start to add more sugar and fat, or have an increased urge for fried food for texture, all to get some enjoyment out of eating."

He said that the infected patients may not be able to restore 100 per cent of their previous performance, but with training, most of them will be able to return to a position where their diminished sense of smell will no longer impair their life.

(With inputs from agencies)