Long-term self-reported symptoms and psychophysical tests in COVID-19 subjects experiencing persistent olfactory dysfunction: a 4-year follow-up study https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40401088/
Why This Study Matters
One of the most common early signs of COVID-19 was losing your sense of smell or taste. For some people, this lasted much longer than expected. This study looked at how long it takes to recover and what might help.
Who Was Studied?
- 83 people who lost their sense of smell after having COVID-19.
- Doctors tested their ability to smell using special tools.
- People also shared how they felt about their smell loss over time.
What Did the Study Find?
- At first, about 57% of people had clear problems with smelling.
- Most people started to improve in the first year.
- Over the next four years, recovery continued slowly but steadily.
- By year 4, 92% of people had either fully or mostly recovered their sense of smell.
- A small number still had reduced smell (called hyposmia).
What Helped with Recovery?
- People who were younger tended to recover faster and more fully.
- Those who did smell training (practicing with strong scents daily) had better results.
What Does This Mean?
- Losing your sense of smell from COVID-19 can last a long time, but most people do get better.
- Recovery can keep happening even after several years.
- Some people may need support or treatments to help their sense of smell return.
- The study shows that COVID-19 can have long-term effects, and we need more research to understand why and how to treat it better.
