Long Covid is set to impact people’s Christmas in more ways than one, according to a new study.
A research team from the University of East Anglia investigated the prevalence of long Covid, and particularly ear, nose and throat related symptoms such as smell loss and parosmia – where people experience strange and often unpleasant smell distortions.
The researchers found that a third of people who have long Covid suffer from persistent smell loss and nearly a fifth experience loss of taste.
“Long Covid is a complex condition that develops during or after having Covid, and it is classified as such when symptoms continue for more than 12 weeks,” explained lead researcher Prof Carl Philpott, from UEA’s Norwich Medical School.
“Symptoms include headache, myalgia, fatigue and loss of taste and smell. Parosmia can persist for months after initial infection, alongside brain fog and memory loss.”
Christmas can be a hard time for people who have lost these senses. Long Covid sufferers could miss out on the smells of Christmas trees and mulled wine, and the joy of being able to taste their Christmas food, said the UAE team, who worked in collaboration with the charity Fifth Sense, which represents those with smell and taste disorders.
The research team analysed results from the UK Coronavirus Infection Survey and information from over 360,000 people in March 2022.
A total of 10,431 participants identified as suffering from long Covid, and were asked about the presence of 23 individual symptoms and the impact of the condition on their day-to-day activities.
“We found that almost 3% of the participants self-identified as having long Covid, and if we scale this up to reflect the UK population, it would equate to around 1.8 million people,” Prof Philpott explained.
Fatigue was the most common symptom, the UAE analysis showed, followed by ENT-related symptoms such as a loss of smell and taste, vertigo, shortness of breath, wheezing and a sore throat.
And the knock on effects on wellbeing can be significant. UEA’s previous research highlighted that people who have lost their sense of smell also report high rates of depression, anxiety, isolation and relationship difficulties.
“It can disrupt almost every aspect of life – from everyday concerns about personal hygiene to a loss of sexual intimacy and the break-down of personal relationships,” Prof Philpott said.
“Long Covid is a growing problem in the UK and we need to focus resources on supporting people with loss of smell and taste after Covid infection.”
Duncan Boak, CEO and founder of Fifth Sense, which is calling for more support for those affected, said: “People tell us they’ve received little information or support from their doctors and are sometimes spending money on unprescribed and ineffective treatments they have read about online.”
