Smell did not return after a quarter of the Covid patients after two months

Smell did not return after a quarter of the Covid patients after two months

by

Nearly a quarter of coronavirus-affected patients with odor loss did not return two months later, the new study

  • Researchers looked at data from 2,581 patients from 18 European hospitals
  • Revealed 24.1% did not regain their smell and taste within 60 days after infection
  • But the senses returned to 95% of the patients within six months of infection.

By Joe Pinkstone For Mailonline

Published: | Updated:

Loss of sensory odor and taste are common symptoms of Covid-19, and new data show that it affects 86 percent of individuals with mild cases.

However, only 4.5 percent of people with moderate cases and 6.9 percent in severe to critical cases say they have these symptoms.

The study from Paris Saclay University also shows that their smell and taste for a quarter of people (24.1 percent) do not return within 60 days after infection.

However, the vast majority (95 percent) of all patients regain their sense of smell six months after infection.

Download for video

The study from the Saclay University of Paris reveals that their smell and taste for almost a quarter of the people (24.1 percent) did not return within 60 days after infection

The study from the Saclay University of Paris reveals that their smell and taste for almost a quarter of the people (24.1 percent) did not return within 60 days after infection

The figures vary depending on whether the patient himself or the doctor reports the symptom.

Objective clinical evaluations found a loss of odor in 54.7 percent of the mild cases of COVID-19 and 36.6 percent of the moderate to critical cases of COVID-19.

And two months later, almost a quarter of the patients still lacked odor, also known as anosmia.

Researchers examined anonymous data from more than 2,000 people in 18 different European hospitals.

Objective clinical evaluations found a loss of odor in 54.7 percent of the mild cases of COVID-19 and 36.6 percent of the moderate to critical cases of COVID-19. Researchers discover olfactory dysfunction in more than half of mild viral infections (stock)

Objective clinical evaluations found a loss of odor in 54.7 percent of the mild cases of COVID-19 and 36.6 percent of the moderate to critical cases of COVID-19. Researchers discover olfactory dysfunction in more than half of mild viral infections (stock)

What is anosmia?

Anosmia is the medical name for a condition in which someone completely or partially loses the sense of smell and / or taste.

The most common cause of the condition – temporary or permanent – is diseases affecting the nose or sinuses, such as polyps that grow in the airways, broken bones or cartilage, hay fever or tumors.

It differs from hyposmia, which is a reduced sensitivity to some or all odors.

About 3.5 million people in the UK are affected by the condition, along with nearly 10 million in the US. It is surprisingly common and affects between three and five percent of people.

Head injuries and nervous system diseases such as Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s can also contribute to the condition by damaging nerves in the nose that are responsible for detecting odors.

Professor Jerome Lechien, lead author of the study at Paris Saclay University, said: ‘Olfactory dysfunction is more common in mild COVID-19 forms than in moderate to critical forms, and 95 per cent of patients get their sense of smell at six months after infection. ‘

The researchers found that the mean time of this ‘olfactory dysfunction’ by patients was 21.6 days.

Young patients may have a higher dose of anosmia compared to the elderly, scientists said.

Professor Lechien added: ‘In the two months of follow-up, 75 per cent to 85 per cent of the patients received olfaction according to subjective and objective olfactory evaluations.

The main hypothesis underlying the higher incidence of anosmia in mild COVID-19 would be differences in the immune response to infection in mild to moderate to critical patients.

“Future studies are needed to determine the long-term recovery rate of COVID-19 patients.”

The subjects of the study were tested using 16 olfactory cages and analyzed for 30 and 60 days, then six months after the initial infection.

Mild patients were defined as those without evidence of viral pneumonia or hypoxia – a lack of oxygen – and usually recovered at home, while serious cases were admitted to hospital.

The study was published today in the Journal of Internal Medicine.

Young COVID-19 patients are more likely to lose their sense of smell and taste than older people

Younger people with COVID-19 are more likely to lose their sense of smell and taste than older patients, a new study has found.

Irish researchers examined 46 infected patients who were asked to assess changes in their smell, known as anosmia, and taste, known as ageusia.

About half of the participants experienced odor and taste dysfunction, which is a known symptom of the infectious disease.

But although older people are generally more vulnerable to other effects of COVID-19, younger patients are more likely to experience anosmia and ageusia, they found.

It is possible that a loss of smell and taste may occur in young patients instead of more important symptoms such as cough and fever.

Despite this, people have to isolate themselves if they lose their sense of smell or taste because it is an officially recognized symptom of the disease.

.Source