COVID-19
Study finds millions could suffer long-term smell or taste problems after COVID
A new study has found that around one in 20 people who have tested positive for COVID-19 worldwide have long-term smell or taste problems for at least 6 months.
The survey was put together by a team of international experts and analyzed data from 18 studies comprising 3,699 patients, Sky News reported.
The study found that an estimated 5.6 percent of patients suffer smell dysfunction for at least six months, while 4.4 percent have a change in taste.
By this month there had been around 550 million COVID infections globally, meaning 15 million may have had smell problems and 12 million had taste issues, the study estimated.
It added that women are less likely to recover their sense of smell and taste and patients who suffered the most at the initial infection were more likely to have long-term issues.