A new study from the Journal of Internal Medicine suggests that there may be a COVID-19 symptom that may be permanent or at least last longer than others.
© Jae C. Hong, Associated Press
Margarita Hernandez, who tested positive for coronavirus, waits in a tent to see a doctor for her allergic reaction to medications at the Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in the Mission Hills section of Los Angeles, Tuesday, December 22, 2020.
What is happening?
The study found that 86% of patients with mild cases of COVID-19 “experienced a loss of sense of taste and smell.” A significant number of these patients had their senses restored. But there was a piece that never regained its taste or smell.
- In fact, according to PennLive, the study found that 15.3% of patients have not yet recovered their senses after 60 days. After six months, 4.7% of people had not regained consciousness.
Some doctors told The Wall Street Journal that some cases revealed that “people’s senses may never return”.
Neurology expert Leo Newhouse, LICSW, wrote on the Harvard Health website: “Some of us may never regain our sense of smell or taste.”
Sense of smell and taste
Losing smell and taste was considered a symptom of coronavirus in March 2020, as I wrote for Deseret News. In fact, it was one of the first symptoms to be discovered among scientists.
- Utah Jazz Star Rudy Gobert tweeted at the beginning of the pandemic that he felt he had lost his taste and smell due to the virus.
- He tweeted: “Just to give you an update, the loss of smell and taste is definitely one of the symptoms, I haven’t been able to smell anything in the last 4 days. Someone experiencing the same thing? “
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