Mild Covid-19 cases are more likely to lose their sense of smell, studies show

For people with mild covid-19, the nose may be better known than any other part of the body. According to a new study published Wednesday Mild illness Experience of losing sensation of smell, higher percentage than those with more serious illness..Usually temporary, but this loss of odor Last Half a year and lOngar.

research, Release The Journal of Internal Medicine examined the medical records of more than 2,500 covid-19 patients seeking care at one of 18 hospitals across Europe. Most were outpatients diagnosed with mild to moderate symptoms, while others were hospitalized with severe or severe covid-19.

Overall, about three-quarters of patients self-reported loss of odor, medically known as anosmia. However, there was a large gap in the presentation of this symptom across varying levels of severity. Among patients with mild illness, 86% Olfactory loss was reported compared to only 4.5% of moderate patients and 6.9% of severe patients. Looking only at patients whose objective tests confirmed olfactory loss, this gap narrowed but remained. 54.7% of these mild cases confirmed olfactory loss compared to 36.6% of moderate to severe cases.

“Olfactory dysfunction is a prevalent disorder in covid-19 patients and is more common in patients with mild illness,” the authors write.

Findings are consistent with previous studies showing anosmia It ’s a very common symptom of covid-19, Underreport Early in the pandemic.Other studies suggest that mild cases tend to be anosmia More often.But new research is one of the largest of its kind to determine its prevalence Obtain data from patients with olfactory dysfunction Confirmed by test.

I don’t know why there are so many mild cases in this study, Easy to lose your sense of smell, The author has a theory.The main explanation is anosmia Ironically, it’s a sign of the body doing a decent job of dodging the coronavirus. In these patients, the infection does not spread far beyond the upper respiratory tract, thanks to a strong, localized immune response.But this response For at least some time, it can cause inflammation that damages or interferes with nearby cells that help us handle odors.

In more serious cases, some misunderstandings may have occurred. Hospital patients often deal with a variety of symptoms, but the most important patients may require intensive interventions such as feeding tubes and ventilation. PPatients with more serious covid-19 may not be aware Their anosmia when it is happening.It can explain the higher rate of anosmia in the study In the middle-To-A serious case actually examined.

Thankfully for most people People experiencing covid-related anosmia, It seems to be self-limiting. Patients averaged about 3 weeks, with about one-third reporting lasting only 2 weeks. However, 15% of objectively tested patients lost their sense of smell for at least two months, while just under 5% had not yet regained their sense of smell by six months.Moon mark.People with more severe anosmia At first, it was likely that they would continue to experience it months later.

The authors theorize shorter-term cases of anosmia Often, it is just the stuffy nose and swelling that is common in everyday colds and can temporarily interfere with our ability to snuff.But people with persistent anosmia There may be more complex problems in your hands. From either infection or inflammation to olfactory cells. Most people infected with covid-19 can then smell to their heart’s content, but the pandemic is so large that 86 million cases have been identified worldwide as of early January, so many. People can lose their sense of smell forever.

The authors hope that their work will lead to future research that monitors these long-term cases for a better understanding of the phenomenon and understands how to do so. Improve people Opportunity for recovery.