Loss of Smell May Linger After COVID-19

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 1, 2025 (HealthDay News) -- Self-reported change or loss in smell or taste is an accurate signal of verified hyposmia after COVID-19, although there is also a high rate of hyposmia among those with no reported change or loss following COVID-19, according to a study published online Sept. 25 in JAMA Network Open.Leora I. Horwitz, M.D., from New York University in New York City, and colleagues characterized long-term olfactory dysfunction after SARS-CoV-2 infection. The analysis included 3,525 participants enrolled in the Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery-Adult study (2,956 with prior infection and 569 without prior infection).The researchers found that among 1,393 infected participants with self-reported change or loss, 79.8 percent had hyposmia on the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT), including 23.0 percent with severe microsmia or anosmia. Among 1,563 infected participants without self-reported change or loss, 66.0 percent had hyposmia, including 8.2 percent with severe microsmia or anosmia. Participants with prior infection and self-reported change or loss scored at the 16th age- and sex-standardized UPSIT percentile versus the 23rd and 28th percentiles for participants without self-reported change or loss with and without prior known infection, respectively. Scores among younger women corresponded to lower mean age- and sex-standardized percentiles. Among those who self-reported change or loss in smell, participants with abnormal UPSIT scores more often reported cognitive problems (66.8 versus 63.5 percent with normal UPSIT scores)."These results suggest that health care providers should consider testing for loss of smell as a routine part of post-COVID care," Horwitz said in a statement. "While patients may not notice right away, a dulled nose can have a profound impact on their mental and physical well-being."Several authors reported financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry.Abstract/Full Text.Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

Loss of Smell May Linger After COVID-19

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