How Can I Get Sense of Taste and Smell Back After COVID Infection?

Family Medicine, Primary Care Roots Community Health Center, Hippo Education, Kameda Medical Center

Supervised by Kenji Taylor, MD

It seems that the large majority of people (>80%) will completely recover their sense of taste or smell in about one month after COVID infection.

Explanation

Taste and smell disorders following COVID-19 infection are common. Fortunately, most people will fully recover (80%) while a smaller number of people will have only partial recovery (20%). A much smaller percentage will have no recover of their taste or smell. Even if recovery does not occur within a month, gradual recovery has been reported. Changes in taste and smell may be caused by other infectious diseases such as sinusitis or chronic cigarette smoking.

(References)

Othieno F, Schlosser RJ, Rowan NR, Storck KA, Mattos JL, Smith TL, Soler ZM. Taste impairment in chronic rhinosinusitis. Int Forum Allergy Rhinol. 2018 Jul;8(7):783-789. doi: 10.1002/alr.22113. Epub 2018 Mar 23. PMID: 29569385; PMCID: PMC6582951.
Mitchell MB, Workman AD, Rathi VK, Bhattacharyya N. Smell and Taste Loss Associated with COVID-19 Infection. Laryngoscope. 2023 Sep;133(9):2357-2361. doi: 10.1002/lary.30802. Epub 2023 Jun 2. PMID: 37265267.
Mitchell MB, Workman AD, Rathi VK, Bhattacharyya N. Smell and Taste Loss Associated with COVID-19 Infection. Laryngoscope. 2023 Sep;133(9):2357-2361. doi: 10.1002/lary.30802. Epub 2023 Jun 2. PMID: 37265267.

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