Researchers say about 5% of infected adults may develop long-lasting changes to sense of smell or taste
Millions of people worldwide may have long-term smell or taste problems as a result of Covid-19, with women more likely to be affected, a study suggests.
About 5% of adults infected with the coronavirus may develop long-lasting changes to their sense of smell or taste, according to the research published in the BMJ.
With more than 550m confirmed Covid-19 cases to date, it means there may be long-term smell deficiencies for 15 million people and taste problems for 12 million (with an unknown overlap of those suffering both) for at least six months after an infection.