Loss of sense of smell and test are well-established symptoms of COVID-19, so much so that it can be used to diagnose the illness. Now, some people infected to Covid-19 coronavirus have experienced parosmia, which is characterised by a change in perception of odours.
- While anosmia is a complete loss of smell and hyposmia is a decreased sense of smell, parosmia is an alteration of the sense of smell.
- Parosmia is a medical term used to describe a condition in which affected individuals experience “distortions of the sense of smell.
- For example, the smell of coffee that appears to be hair raising and pleasing to most can come as unpleasant like the smell of a burnt toast. A piece of fruit may smell like chemicals, or even worse, like fecal matter.
- Most people recover within two to four weeks, but some may deal with it for several months or more.
