Study Reveals Percentage of COVID-19 Patients Losing Sense of Taste

Results from a study conducted by American scientists have shown that taste alterations were reported in 39.2% of individuals infected with the coronavirus. This was reported by Gazeta.ru, citing a study published on the preprint server medRxiv.org.

"The meta-analysis demonstrated that out of 138,897 patients with COVID-19, 39.2% reported taste dysfunction... Overall, men recorded a lower incidence of taste loss than women, with the highest loss observed in middle-aged groups. Therefore, taste loss is a genuine symptom of COVID-19 that warrants further research," the study noted.

Previously, British biologists had identified the loss or alteration of smell and taste as one of the primary signs by which individuals can differentiate COVID-19 from the flu or common cold. In addition, the coronavirus infection is characterized by fever, persistent cough, fatigue, muscle pain, and loss of appetite. Doctors have emphasized that if a person does not have any of these symptoms, they are most likely not infected with COVID-19.

According to Natalya Pshenichnaya, Deputy Director of the Central Research Institute for Epidemiology of Rospotrebnadzor, the loss of smell and taste associated with coronavirus infection typically lasts for an average of eight days. Pshenichnaya also confirmed that these symptoms are more frequently observed in women than in men. Regarding the sense of smell, she noted that its loss can also occur due to other illnesses, such as acute respiratory viral infections, affecting 20% of those infected.