COVID-19 Damage To Sense Of Smell Long-Lasting And Subtle, Study Suggests

Key Takeaways

The effects of COVID-19 infection on smell might be long-lastingAbout 4 out of 5 COVID patients who reported changes in their sense of smell tested poorly about two years later on a scent identification testTwo-thirds of COVID patients who didn’t think it had harmed their ability to smell also performed poorly on the scent test

FRIDAY, Sept. 26, 2025 (HealthDay News) — A COVID-19 infection might blunt a person’s sense of smell for years afterward, but so subtly they might not even notice it, a new study says.

In all, 4 out of 5 people who reported that COVID had altered their sense of smell still scored low on a clinical scent detection test taken about two years later, researchers reported in JAMA Network Open .

In addition, two-thirds of COVID patients who didn’t no