Scientists reveal the ONE COVID-19 symptom that might never leave. Do you have it?

It's been more than five years since COVID-19 started wreaking havoc on our lives. The symptoms of the disease include high fever, trouble breathing, and loss of sense of taste and smell. The infection killed millions worldwide, and new variants continue to emerge even today. A study has found that some COVID-19 symptoms continue to linger till much later, and in fact, one of them might stay with you for life. If you were one of those who lost their sense of smell while infected with COVID, then chances are you have lost that privilege for life. The National Institutes of Health undertook a study and found that two years after the infection, 80 per cent of people who lost their sense of smell performed poorly on a clinical scent-detection test. The study authors also noted that around one in four who saw a change at the time of the sickness, witnessed severely impaired smell or had lost the ability to smell entirely.

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Dr Leora Horwitz, the co-author of the study, said that this problem can also have a mental impact on these people. "While patients may not notice right away, a dulled nose can have a profound impact on their mental and physical well-being." She added that the loss of smell can also cause problems doing basic things in everyday life, and negatively affect appetite and nutrition. “You can’t smell smoke, you can’t smell the gas leak, you can’t smell spoiled food," Dr Horwitz said, adding that this happens because the virus that causes COVID leads to inflammation within the olfactory system.

COVID-19 led to a permanent loss of smell

Researchers gathered data on thousands of Americans who were infected with COVID-19 and compared it with those who did not have COVID-19. They were told to identify 40 different scents, and each correct answer earned a point. However, the curveball was that 60 per cent of participants who weren't infected also tested poorly in the sense of smell area. The study authors said that this is likely because of age. Besides, there was a chance that some participants who thought they were not infected might have been infected without their knowledge.

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UK is currently in the grips of a new Covid strain, called Stratus. The new strain has two variants, XFG and XFG.3. Symptoms include a scratchy throat, also known as razor throat.