NEW DELHI: Although it may not be noticeable, the loss of smell may linger for years for some people after a Covid-19 infection, according to a study.
The study led by researchers at the US National Institutes of Health and New York University Langone Health used an objective, 40-odour test to explore a link between the coronavirus that causes Covid and hyposmia -- the reduced ability to smell.
The results revealed that 80 per cent of participants who reported a change in their smelling ability after having Covid earned low scores on a clinical scent-detection test taken about two years later.
Of this group, 23 per cent were severely impaired or had entirely lost their sense of smell.
Notably, 66 per cent of infected participants who did not notice any smelling issues scored abnormally low on the evaluation as well, the researchers said.
“Our findings confirm that those with a history of Covid-19 may be especially at risk for a weakened sense of smell, an issue that is already underrecognised among the general population, ” said study co-lead author Leora Horwitz, professor at NYU Grossman School of Medicine