Ear, Nose and Throat

Advice from Professor Claire Hopkins

We sat down with Professor Hopkins to learn more about the symptoms most frequently seen in ENT Long-Covid patients, and she also gave us valuable advice for anyone suffering from these symptoms.

Anosmia

Anosmia is the loss of smell and/or taste, which is a common symptom of those suffering Covid-19. While most patients will regain their sense of smell and taste after a few weeks, roughly 10% have reported persistent loss as much as eight weeks after the onset of the virus and these symptoms.

If you are suffering from Long-Covid and still have not regained your sense of taste and smell, the main thing to remember is to not lose hope. Studies have shown that nearly all patients regain their olfactory senses eventually. Watch the video below with Professor Claire Hopkins, Consultant Rhinologist at OneWelbeck ENT, for more information and advice.

Parosmia

Parosmia is the distortion of your sense of smell, where everything smells unpleasant, even rotten or disgusting. For patients who have already been through Covid-19, this can be one of the most unsettling long-lasting symptoms of the virus, especially as it seems to only occur once the respiratory infection has subsided.

Whole long-term data is lacking, we do know that the majority of patients do eventually recover from parosmia. Once again, the message is to not lose hope.

Meet the expert

Professor Claire Hopkins is a Consultant Rhinologist at OneWelbeck ENT. She had a leading role in establishing the link between Covid-19 and loss of smell and taste, from initially raising awareness, delivering research to demonstrate the value of loss of small as a diagnostic marker, and then campaigning to have loss of smell and taste recognised as one of the main diagnostic criteria.

Since then, along with a growing team of collaborators around the globe, she has gone on develop guidelines for patient management, online support tools for patients, as well as continued research into anosmia and parosmia.

Ear, Nose and Throat

Advice from Professor Claire Hopkins

Anosmia

Parosmia

Meet the expert

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