It doesn’t feel like it at the moment, but losing your sense of smell or taste during a Covid infection can be a good thing.
Scientists believe this is a sign of a strong immune response.
A study found that Covid patients suffering from anosmia – a loss of smell – or agueis – a loss of taste – were twice as likely to have antibodies long after infection.
Previous research has shown that a strong immune response kills cells that live in the nose and cause symptoms.
But it can also be a warning sign of a bad Covid attack, as these cells tend to be the first to be infected by the virus.
A loss of smell or taste due to Covid infection could be a sign of a stronger immune response, say researchers (file photo)
Loss of taste and smell was more common earlier in the pandemic when an estimated three out of five patients had the symptom.
However, due to vaccinations and the spread of new variants, the symptoms occur less frequently.
It is unclear how relevant the findings are now, as none of the participants were vaccinated and the virus has mutated significantly since then.
For the study, scientists from Columbia University recruited 306 adults living in northern Manhattan, New York, who contracted Covid in the early months of the pandemic.
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About two-thirds told the scientists they suffered a loss of smell or taste when they contracted Covid.
They were invited to the clinic for an antibody blood test at least two weeks after their infection cleared. The tests were carried out between April and June 2020.
Antibody test results were available from 266 participants.
Of these, 176 tested positive for anti-Covid antibodies (66 percent), while 90 (34 percent) tested negative.
Antibody levels decrease over time, meaning that someone infected with Covid will eventually test negative for the proteins.
The results showed that 71 percent of those who reported a loss of taste or smell had Covid antibodies.
In comparison, of those who reported no symptoms, only 57 percent tested positive for the proteins that fight the pandemic virus.
The researchers adjusted these results for their analysis by gender, age and ethnicity.
They found that people who lost their sense of taste and smell were about 100 percent more likely to test positive for Covid antibodies than those who did not have the symptoms.
Scientists wrote in the paper: “The results of our study suggest that loss of smell and taste during Covid infection are strong predictors of a robust immune response.
“Additional research is needed to investigate the sustainability of seropositivity in these individuals.”
Previous research suggests that loss of taste and smell may be related to how the body fights the virus.
There is evidence that a stronger immune response can lead to more cells responsible for smell and taste being killed because they are the first to be infected by the virus.
Covid vaccines have been available in the US since early 2021, and eight out of 10 American adults – or 268 million people – have already received two doses.
The scientists cautioned that diagnoses of loss of smell and taste are based solely on patient recalls, none of which have been tested.
The vast majority of patients were only mildly ill with Covid, and only five people (1.6 per cent) were admitted to hospital.
The study participants were on average 39 years old, mostly female and of white origin.
The study is published today in the journal PLOS ONE.
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
