A reoccurring symptom of Covid-19 has been the loss of taste and smell and many people have reported that their senses never went back to normal.
It has been reported that 250,000 adults in the UK have suffered from Parosmia after Covid. ‘Parosmia’ is a condition where people experience unpleasant smell distortions.
Today, UK’s leading Smell Expert, Professor Carl Philpott from the University of East Anglia’s Norwich Medical School, said that: “In many cases the condition is putting children off their food.”
He has also highlighted some greater concerns: “We’ve heard from some parents whose children are suffering nutritional problems and have lost weight, but doctors have put this down to just fussy eating.”
Some experts look to 11-year-old Malisse Kafi who had coronavirus in September and has found all food now tastes like “rotten eggs”.
His mum, Dawn Kafi, Liverpool, said that Malisse initially thought his food had gone off and eventually “just stopped eating.”
Two months later, Malisse was rushed to hospital with dehydration.
This condition can affect both adults and children, but with children less likely to be able to explain what is happening, Professor Philpott and charity ‘Fifth Sense’ have urged parents to believe their children and not chalk an aversion to food up to fussy eating.
They have also offered some old school solutions to the problem, including holding their nose to block out the smell when eating.
It has been suggested that this could be the result of “long Covid,” a condition where people are suffering with the effects of Covid long after being infected.
Parents are advised to keep an eye on their children’s food intake to ensure they are receiving adequate nutrition.
More guidance can be found here: https://www.fifthsense.org.uk/parosmia-and-phantosmia/
