About 5% of people worldwide report smell and taste dysfunction six months after COVID, according to a study published Wednesday in The BMJ, the British Medical Association’s peer-reviewed medical journal.
Why it matters: “Given that an estimated 550 million cases of covid-19 have been reported worldwide as of July 2022, large numbers of patients will be seeking care for these disabling morbidities,” per an editorial, led by Paolo Boscolo-Rizzo from Italy’s University of Trieste, accompanying the study.
“Health systems should therefore be ready to provide support to these patients who often report feeling isolated when their symptoms are overlooked by clinicians,” the researchers note.
“Loss of smell and taste adversely affects quality of life by depriving those affected of several everyday pleasures and social bonds. People can also experience anorexia, food aversions, malnutrition, anxiety, and depression.”
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