Discover Magazine Learn how researchers may have finally uncovered why some people experience long-lasting taste loss after COVID-19. A common symptom that many experienced during a COVID-19 infection was a loss of taste. While most affected individuals regained their sense of taste within a few weeks, some experienced a persistent loss over several months. If a COVID-19-related taste dysfunction lasts longer than three months, it is a recognized symptom of Long COVID.
Now, researchers from Sweden and the U.S. have uncovered molecular and structural changes in some taste buds of patients with taste abnormalities after a COVID-19 infection, offering the first plausible explanation for why a small group of people lost their taste for an unusually long time.
The study, published in Chemical Senses, is a crucial step toward understanding the molecular causes behind COVID-19-related taste dysfunction, paving the way for developing treatments to mitigate patients’ taste loss.
Fair Use Notice
UNMC Global Center for Health Security staff curate publicly available news and information for educational and informational purposes. Brief excerpts of published articles may be displayed under principles of Fair Use, with credit and links provided to the source publications. All copyrights remain the property of their respective owners.