Study Says COVID-19 Infection Affects Changes In The Sense Of Smell Or Taste For A Long Time

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JAKARTA - Millions of COVID-19 patients experience long-term changes in taste and smell, making eating food "disgusting and emotionally distressing", a study published on Thursday showed.

One in 20 patients, or about five percent, have long-term odor and taste problems that cause "severe difficulty".

Other patients suffered from anorexia, anxiety and depression, according to the study, published in the journal 'The BMJ', which reviewed data from 18 studies involving 3,699 patients.

The study was published as NHS England announced its plans to improve the treatment of people with long COVID-19, quoted from The National News July 29.

In a related editorial, a team of Italian academics wrote: “About 5 percent of people report olfactory and taste dysfunction six months after COVID-19, and given that an estimated 550 million cases of COVID-19 have been reported worldwide by July 2022, a large number of patients will seek medical attention. treatment for this disabling morbidity.

"Therefore, the health system must be ready to provide support to patients who often report feeling isolated when their symptoms are ignored by doctors."

They say people "only realize the importance of smell when it's gone" and they can be "very depressed" when it's missing.

"Loss of the senses of smell and taste adversely affects quality of life by depriving them of some daily pleasures and social bonds," wrote the research team led by Paolo Boscolo-Rizzo of the University of Trieste.

"People can also experience anorexia, food aversions, malnutrition, anxiety and depression," they said.

Parosmia, the experience of a distorted sense of smell, "turns pleasant smells into unpleasant ones", the group said.

For the UK, the NHS plans to fund 90 specialist COVID-19 long clinics, 14 centers for children and youth and investment in training to support doctors.

Dr. Kiren Collison, chair of the NHS long COVID task force said: “long COVID can be devastating for those living with it, and while we continue to learn more about this new condition, it is important for people to know that they are not alone, and that the NHS exists. here for them.

"Today's plans build on these world-leading care, to ensure support is available to everyone who needs it, and that patients who need specialist support can access care in a timely and more convenient way."