Long COVID May Cause Long-Term Taste Loss
- Gyeonghyun Cho
- 5 days ago
- 1 min read
Updated: 17 minutes ago
Mar 7, 2026
Gyeonghyun Cho
A recent study has offered new clues about why some people continue to experience taste loss long after recovering from COVID-19. While many patients regain their sense of taste within a few weeks of infection, others report persistent taste problems that last for months or even years. This ongoing condition is often linked to what is known as long COVID.
In the study, published in the journal Chemical Senses, researchers examined 28 individuals who had been experiencing taste dysfunction for more than a year following their COVID-19 infection. To better understand the issue, scientists used specialized taste tests designed to measure how well participants could detect the five basic tastes: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami.
The results showed that many participants had difficulty identifying certain flavors, particularly sweet, umami, and bitter tastes. This suggests that COVID-19 may affect the body's perception of certain types of taste.
Researchers also observed reduced activity in important taste-related molecules, which play a key role in how taste receptor cells function. Although the study was relatively small, the findings provide valuable insight into how long COVID may contribute to long-term taste loss.
