‘Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, it emerged that many people infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus were losing their sense of smell — even without displaying other symptoms. Researchers also discovered that infected people could lose their sense of taste and their ability to detect chemically triggered sensations such as spiciness, called chemesthesis.
‘Almost a year later, some still haven’t recovered these senses, and for a proportion of people who have, odours are now warped: unpleasant scents have taken the place of normally delightful ones. Nature surveys the science behind this potentially long-lasting and debilitating phenomenon:
- How many people with COVID-19 lose their sense of smell?
- Why do people with COVID-19 lose their sensitivity to smells?
- How quickly do the impaired senses return?
- How does permanently losing the chemical senses affect a person?
- Are treatments available for restoring these senses?
Read here (Nature, Jan 14, 2021)
