A new review reports that alterations in taste affected about a third of individuals with a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) diagnosis, with females being affected more than males.
Background
A few months into the pandemic, specialists in otorhinolaryngology reported high rates of sensory loss in the form of an altered sense of smell and taste. Some patients lose these sensations completely (anosmia or ageusia, respectively), while a partial loss is termed hyposmia or hypogeusia. Others have distortions in their sensations, called parosmia and dysgeusia.