By Cara Murez
HealthDay Reporter
WEDNESDAY, June 7, 2023 (HealthDay Information) — One of many signature signs of COVID-19 an infection within the early months of the pandemic was a lack of the sense of odor.
Now, new analysis finds that’s not the case, due to the brand new variants which were circulating extra lately.
The danger of shedding sense of style or odor is now solely about 6% to 7% of what it was throughout the pandemic’s early phases, in line with researchers at Virginia Commonwealth College (VCU) Faculty of Drugs in Richmond, Va.
“At first of the pandemic, odor and style loss have been thought-about frequent signs of COVID-19. Earlier than viral exams have been readily accessible, we relied much more on such signs to diagnose these contaminated. Nonetheless, as totally different variants of the COVID-19 virus have emerged, the forms of signs mostly skilled modified as properly,” stated examine writer Dr. Evan Reiter, who’s the medical director of VCU Well being’s Scent and Style Issues Heart.
For the examine, the researchers used a nationwide database of greater than 7 million sufferers who examined optimistic for COVID-19, calculating the prevalence of odor and style loss as a symptom of the virus throughout peak durations of an infection for every variant wave.
The staff discovered that the dangers of odor loss from a COVID-19 an infection for Alpha and Delta, each pervasive variants in 2021, have been solely 74% and 64% of what was noticed within the early phases of the pandemic.
They noticed even steeper declines in lack of odor in 2022 and early 2023, as Omicron variants dominated. The danger of odor loss from an infection was as little as 6% in contrast with 2020 charges.
“This information reveals that odor and style loss is not a dependable indicator of COVID‐19 an infection,” Reiter stated. “This implies that you could’t rule out COVID-19 in case you are feeling sick however haven’t misplaced your sense of odor. This additionally implies that in case you have misplaced your sense of odor, it’s not a assure that it’s from a COVID-19 an infection.”
The findings have been revealed lately within the journal Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgical procedure.
Researchers don’t know why fewer folks at the moment are shedding their sense of odor with an infection, however larger immunity to the virus could possibly be an element.
“We don’t have the information on what’s inflicting this decline in odor loss as a symptom of COVID-19, however I might speculate that this is perhaps associated to our elevated immunity to the virus, both via vaccines or having an earlier an infection, as this usually helps cut back the severity of future infections,” Reiter stated in a college information launch.
“Whereas the chance of odor loss is much much less prevalent than the preliminary waves of COVID-19, we’re nonetheless seeing sufferers who’ve both utterly misplaced or have a distorted sense of odor, which might take a major toll on their high quality of life. There are a good variety of sufferers who’ve bother sustaining a nutritious diet as a result of there are such a lot of meals which are displeasing to them,” Reiter defined. “Fortunately, there may be lots of work being carried out in hopes of discovering an efficient therapy for these affected by this situation.”
Funding for the examine was offered by the MEDARVA Basis. A staff that offered information for the examine was partially funded by the U.S. Nationwide Institutes of Well being’s Medical and Translational Science Award.
Extra data
The U.S. Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention has extra on COVID-19 signs.
SOURCE: Virginia Commonwealth College, information launch, June 5, 2023
