I know 2 women who have lost their senses of taste and smell after being diagnosed with COVID-19, but have not met a male with this symptom. Is there research on recovery and gender?
Yes, some studies show female were more affected, as example these two:
Yonghyun Lee, et al. Prevalence and Duration of Acute Loss of Smell or Taste in COVID-19 Patients. J Korean Med Sci. 2020;35(18):e174.
Jerome R Lechien, et al. Olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions as a clinical presentation of mild-to-moderate forms of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19): a multicenter European study. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2020;277:2251-2261.
Objectively study in dynamics. First, a specialist tests the sensitivity to taste in the oral cavity, determining its threshold of manifestation. In turn, the patient is asked to determine the taste of citric acid (acidic), salt (hydrochloric), sugar (sweet) and quinine hydrochloride (bitter). The test results are the clinical picture and the scale of the lesion.
Qualitative threshold of sensations for certain tongue areas is checked by applying a few drops of solution in separate areas of the oral cavity. The patient absorbs and shares his feelings, but the characteristics are differentiated for each site. So far, such test methods as electrometric have emerged, but they do not provide a sufficiently clear and reliable picture of perception, so the diagnosis of taste disorders is made by old, clinical taste tests.
Olphactometry method . As in the case of olfactory abnormalities, if there is a disturbance of taste, there are currently no precise methods that can clearly distinguish the causes of sensory, transport or nervous symptoms.
In order for the physician to be more specific in determining the cause of the neurological disorder, it is necessary to find the location of the lesion as accurately as possible. The anamnesis of the patient also provides important information for the treating physician. It is necessary also to exclude genetically transmitted endocrine diseases.
Met a woman yesterday who received her second Pfizer immunization. After her flu-like symptoms receded, her sense of smell and taste began to return. Has anyone else encountered this phenomenon?
Yes, there are few studies. In my observation, some males also complained about it. Moreover, zinc supplements are found effective in regaining smell and taste post covid.
Article Distorted chemosensory perception and female sex associate w...
In our series of about 70 patients who still complained of post-COVID alterations in smell and subsequently underwent vaccination, we observed that in most cases the vaccination did not change the symptom, in some cases it improved and in a few others made it worse.