Loss of smell and taste are common symptoms in Covid-19 patients, and approximately 90% of patients can recover on their own after 4 weeks.
Tran Thanh Tai, Master of Otorhinolaryngology (MSc), Medical University Hospital of Ho Chi Minh City, said that in some patients, the loss of taste persists even after healing. Have a major impact on the quality of life.
Suffering from persistent sequelae
Mr. N.M.T (20 years old, living in Ho Chi Minh City) is a perfume bartender. He was infected with Covid-19 and recovered, but his long-term loss of smell greatly affected his work. After an examination by the Department of Otolaryngology at Ho Chi Minh Medical University Hospital, Mr. T. was assessed by the doctor as the severe smell disappeared.
T. Applicable to local (nasal) and systemic corticosteroids, combined with other supportive drugs; home-guided olfactory exercises (3 times/day, about 20 seconds each time). After nearly 4 weeks, his sense of smell gradually improved and he recovered completely after 2 months of treatment.
According to MSc Tran Thanh Tai, a meta-analysis in Europe recorded that approximately 53% of Covid-19 patients have taste changes (loss or reduction). Especially in Ho Chi Minh City Medical University Hospital, this proportion is around 70%. On average, every month, the hospital accepts about 150 patients who have smell and taste problems after injecting Covid-19 drugs.
In etiology, studies have shown that the SARS-CoV-2 virus binds to a protein called A