Bhubaneswar: Doctors dealing with cases of nervous system and brain claim that loss of taste and smell arising out of novel coronavirus infection in some patients are not permanent in nature.
Dr Ashok Kumar Mallik, a neurologist from SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack said that these symptoms are temporary in nature and patients regain the senses but the time period varies from person to person. He also said that in many patients the sense does not come immediately after completion of home isolation or hospitalisation period.
“We have seen that many patients complain of loss of smell. We have not found accurate answer as to how many days it takes for recovery. But after recovery the patients can regain the sense of smell and taste. There are very few cases like accidents where there are permanent loss to taste and smell,” he said.
He also added, “In COVID, the sense comes after some regeneration process. There is nothing to panic. Even after completion of 14 days, the complete loss of taste and smell may not come back immediately in some cases. It varies from person to person.”
The doctor, however, warned that the viral disease affects the nervous system badly in some cases leading to paralysis, stroke and other ailments. “Patients affected by COVID-19 see effect on their central nervous system, peripheral nervous system, spinal cord, brain and muscles. Brain infection and brain stroke are also seen in some patients. Headache, inflammation of different parts of the brain is also seen. We have also seen paralysis and other issues with the patients, who are affected by novel coronavirus infection,” he said.
Bigger damages to the nervous patients like paralysis, brain stroke among others are not seen in many cases, said the physician, adding most of the patients exhibit mild symptoms.
Mallik also said that there are several asymptomatic persons and even young people showing symptoms like paralysis, strokes, fainting and other severe forms of damages, but after examination many such cases turned out to be COVID positive.