Subjective smell and taste changes during the COVID-19 pandemic: Short term recovery

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, many individuals have reported acute loss of smell and taste. In order to better characterize all patients with these symptoms, a longitudinal national survey was created. Since April 10, 2020, 549 completed the initial survey, with 295 completing 14-day, and 202 completing 1-month follow up surveys. At 1-month follow-up, 71.8% reported a return to “very good” or “good” smell, and 84.2% reported a return to “very good” or “good” taste. Chemosensory changes are a cardinal sign of COVID-19. Fortunately, our data, representing a large longitudinal study of patients experiencing smell and taste losses during the COVID-19 pandemic, indicates that the majority appear to recover within a month.