Parosmia Persists For Months After Covid-19 Infection: Research Reveals

A study conducted by the University of East Anglia (UEA), UK revealed that loss of taste and smell seems to persist even months after Covid 19 infection. The new findings were published in the journal, International Forum of Allergy and Rhinology on 20th December 2022. According to this study, around one-third of the UK population has lost smell and one-fifth has lost a sense of taste after getting infected with Covid 19 infection.

As per the lead researcher of the team that conducted the study, Carl Philpott, the symptoms of losing smell and taste that persists for weeks is a major sign of long Covid. Long Covid is a condition that continues even after 12 weeks have passed after Covid infection. One of the symptoms of long Covid is Parosmia, which is defined as the loss or alteration of smell.

What Is The Condition Of Parosmia And What Are The Side Effects?

Based on statistics, around 1.8 million people in the UK suffer from the aftermath of long covid. Along with symptoms like fatigue, headache, and myalgia these people also suffer from a loss of taste and smell. Among these symptoms, researchers are focused on the condition of parosmia.  As per the research, parosmia can be defined as a loss or distortion of your sense of smell. When you have parosmia, you might lose the ability to smell or you start smelling things differently. People who are affected with parosmia often smell things differently than it is, and they kinda experience a bad odor to things that in actuality might not be the true smell. There are no serious side effects to parosmia, but in some minor cases, a severe case of parosmia has been found to cause brain fog-like conditions.

The researchers from the University of East Anglia analyzed the data acquired from the UK Coronavirus Infection Survey for this purpose.  They conducted the study among 360,000 people and found out that a total of 10,431 people on this list had been affected by long Covid. On further inquiry and analysis, the researchers found that one-third of this group suffered from a loss of smell and a one-fifth from loss of taste. These symptoms were prevalent among other symptoms like fatigue and brain fog. According to the researchers, these symptoms can seriously interfere with the day-to-day lives of people. People who are affected by the loss of smell and taste were reported to develop major cases of depression, anxiety, and isolation. The University of Anglia conducted this research by associating with the charity foundation known as Fifth Sense, which works for people who live with taste and smell disorders. As per Duncan Boak, the CEO, and founder of Fifth Sense, people who experience a loss of smell and taste often don’t receive any recognition and compassion from society. Even doctors and physical practitioners are unable to treat them properly. Fifth Sense aims to understand how conditions like parosmia affect the daily lives of people and do things to help them.

The research took place in the context of upcoming Christmas celebrations and holiday observances. As per the research team, Christmas brings together a lot of tastes and smells. Various dishes and meals are prepared as part of the celebration. It is a special occasion for an ensemble of different tastes and smells. There is the Christmas tree, red wine, dinner, and chocolates, all accounting for the versatility of smells and tastes. A loss of taste and parosmia can cause a blur in the festive mood. That is what drives these researchers to bring this issue forward now and they demand that those people who are affected by long covid and Parosmia be taken seriously.