Although long COVID continues to affect more and more people, accounting for approximately 30 percent of recovering patients, according to the CDC, there is still little known about what renders patients more vulnerable to certain symptoms, including loss of taste and/or smell. A recent study published in the American Journal of Otolaryngology indicates that age may be a factor in the prolonged loss of these senses. The findings indicate that patients over 40 may take longer to recover from this unique set of symptoms and that some may actually never fully regain these senses. 

Scope of the Study 

Researchers from Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine in Richmond spoke with 800 patients recovering from COVID-19 and asked them to monitor their senses of taste and smell one month, three months, and six months after the inception of the study. After gathering the data, they found that patients over 40 generally took longer to regain these senses. Specifically, they found: 

• More than 25% of those over 40 years old reported still having an issue with their senses of taste and small.
• Over 83% of those younger than 40 regained their sense of smell.
• Over 15% still hadn’t recovered their sense of smell or taste after 60 days. 
• Nearly 5% of people hadn’t got their senses back after six months. 

Study authors say that the findings suggest a positive association between younger age and speed of olfactory-sense recovery, but that healthcare providers should counsel their patients according to what factors may or may not influence that recovery. The study could be a basis for further investigation into the relationship between age and recovery from other symptoms, as well.  

*Scribner, H.. (2021, October 11). This COVID-19 symptom might not go away for those over 40 years old. Deseret News 

https://www.deseret.com/coronavirus/2021/10/11/22716423/covid-19-symptom-loss-of-smell-taste-people-over-40 

Much about the novel coronavirus, i.e., COVID-19, is still not fully understood. As research progresses and our knowledge of the virus increases, information can change rapidly. We strive to update all of our articles as quickly as possible, but there may occasionally be some lag between scientific developments and our revisions.