Three years after their smell or taste sensations, or both, were impaired by COVID-19, patients are still seeing improvements, according to a new study.
Taste impairments were less frequent, and resolved faster, than smell impairments, according to a report published on Thursday in JAMA Otolaryngology Health & Neck Surgery.
Researchers in Italy tracked 88 patients after mild cases of COVID-19. During the acute phase of the infection, 64% had smell or taste dysfunction confirmed on validated tests. That rate dropped to 31.8% one year later, 20.5% two years later, and 15.9% at three years after the infection.
Rates of smell dysfunction went from 40.9% to 27.3% and then 13.6% at one, two, and three years, respectively, while the prevalence of taste problems was 26.1%, 13.6%, and 11.4% at those time points.
By two years, there was no difference in rates of taste impairment between the patients and a control group of healthcare workers who had never tested positive for COVID.
By three years, that was also true for rates of smell impairment in the two groups.
The researchers acknowledge that patients in the study had only mild COVID-19, and few minorities were represented, so the results might not apply to everyone.
Still, they said, patients with persistent smell and taste impairments after COVID -19 “should be reassured that a recovery… appears to continue over three years.”
This newsletter was edited by Bill Berkrot.
