Of the 36 million Americans who contracted COVID-19 in 2021, an estimated 800 thousand and 540 thousand did not regain their sense of smell or taste, respectively, after recovering from the infection, according to a recent study published in The Laryngoscope.
The study’s data further suggests that 5.2 million and 4.2 million people experienced only a partial recovery in their taste or smell, post-infection.
“Losing your sense of smell or taste isn’t as benign as you may think,” Dr. Neil Bhattacharya, a professor of otolaryngology at Mass Eye and Ear and the senior author of the study, said in a press release. “It can lead to decreased eating for pleasure and, in more extreme cases, it can lead to depression and weight loss.”…