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According to one study, almost 90% of people who lost their sense of smell or taste while infected with Covid-19 improved or recovered within a month.
The study in Italy found that 49% of patients had fully recovered their sense of smell or taste and 40% reported improvements.
But 10% said their symptoms remained the same or had worsened.
Given the magnitude of the pandemic, experts warn that hundreds of thousands of people could face problems in the longer term.
A change in the sense of smell or the taste of someone, or the loss of it, are now recognized as central symptoms of the coronavirus.
‘Mild sickness’
According to NHS advice, anyone experiencing them should isolate themselves, along with their home, and be tested.
The international team of researchers surveyed 187 Italians who had the virus but were not sick enough to be admitted to the hospital.
Individuals were asked to rate their sense of smell or taste shortly after being diagnosed and again one month later.
A total of 113 reported an alteration in their sense of smell and / or taste:
- 55 said they had fully recovered
- 46 reported improvements in their symptoms
- 12 found that their symptoms did not change or worsened
People with severe symptoms found that it took longer to improve.
Dr. Claire Hopkins, one of the researchers and president of the British Rhinology Society, said her team is now investigating more about people with lasting symptoms.
She told the BBC: “The data for other viral diseases, and some of the new data that we are collecting, suggests that the vast majority of people will improve, but for some, recovery will be slow.
“For people who recover faster, the virus likely has only affected the cells that line their nose.”
“For people who recover more slowly, the virus may also have affected the nerves involved in odor. It may take longer for these nerve cells to repair and regenerate.”
She suggests that anyone with concerns can find more information from charities like AbScent.
Writing in the same journal, Dr. Joshua Levy, a specialist at Emory University School of Medicine, said: “Even with a high resolution rate, the staggering number affected by this evolving pandemic suggests an almost certain flood of patients who are likely to present from treatment of unresolved symptoms. “
But he says there are “frustratingly few” interventions for people who experience these problems.
He suggests that in long-term cases people might consider the therapy used for similar conditions, such as smell training.
The article is published in JAMA Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery.
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