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Research reports and anecdotes show that people affected by covid-19 may have a reduced sense of smell and taste. Researchers from Stockholm University, in a major international collaboration, will investigate the relationship. And call participants who have had or think they have had the disease.
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– There are research reports showing a relationship between covid-19 symptoms and odor reduction. We don’t know what it is, but it seems to be relatively common. If you know the change and have the symptoms, you can isolate yourself and prevent the spread of infection. It is important information to communicate, says Jonas Olofsson, a researcher at the Department of Psychology and responsible for part of the project at Stockholm University.
Reports on affected taste and smell.
The survey on which the study is based was developed by The Global Consortium for Chemosensory Research (GCCR), a network of more than 400 researchers from 50 different countries.
The network was formed in response to anecdotal reports that the sense of smell is affected by covid-19. The purpose of the survey is to discover if smells and tastes change and how they change for those affected by covid-19, and if the virus differs in this way from other respiratory diseases. Jonas Olofsson hopes that the first results can come before the end of April.
– I think it’s great that the investigation can go so fast. Hundreds of people come together and do things. I hope this changes the research on the chemical senses, and that this leads to new studies where this large group collaborates, he says.
Difficult to compare the sense of smell with others
The questionnaire contains questions about how you experience odor and taste and what other symptoms you experience. Research by Jonas Olofsson and his then PhD student Ingrid Ekström, now at KI, shows that people are good at appreciating changes in their own sense of smell.
– In the past it has been said that we do not have the ability to judge our own sense of smell. Those who think they have a good sense of smell don’t always have it, but it is difficult to assess their sense of smell compared to others. However, we have been able to show that you are good at detecting if you have a worse sense of smell, especially if it happens quickly, and that’s what’s interesting in this case, says Jonas Olofsson.
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