In Sweden, 3 lakh people suffer from impaired sense of smell due to COVID-19: Report

Sweden is facing a hard time dealing with Coronavirus. An estimated three lakh people in Sweden are suffering from an impaired sense of smell due to COVID-19, the country's national TT News Agency reported. 

According to the report, there are long queues at clinics throughout the country that offer treatment for loss of smell. With a population of over 10 million people, Sweden has only two such clinics that cure odour loss. The most recent one is opened at Karolinska University Hospital in Huddinge near the capital city of Stockholm in September.

Since the pandemic began, nearly 1.166 million people have been tested positive for Coronavirus and the death toll reached 15,000, according to the latest statistic released by the Swedish Public Health Agency on Friday. 

"We get patients from all over Sweden. I'm contacted from all sides," Charlotte Cervin-Hoberg, a biomedical analyst at Lund University, told The Straits Times. The clinics were earlier used to cure loss of smell due to other causes, such as infections, head injuries, and neurological diseases but currently, the majority of those seeking care are COVID-19 patients.

People who have been earlier infected with the virus are also experiencing a distorted sense of smell and taste. Eva Hoglund, who was infected with the virus in April 2020, told Norway Today that except vanilla ice cream, most things taste and smell like cigarette butts or rotten meat to her.

Sweden Coronavirus cases

The country is witnessing a slight rise in Coronavirus cases since it has lifted restrictions on 30 September, such as a limited number of participants in public spaces and restaurants. Though it advises people to wear face masks and continue with work from home, if possible, there are currently no plans to tighten restrictions.

However, testing restrictions remain in effect, albeit they will be reduced on November 1, and people who have not been vaccinated should take the same precautions as before.

In the meantime, 84.7% of people aged 16 and above have received at least one dose of the vaccine, while 80.1% had received two doses. In comparison to other European countries, Sweden, which avoided widespread lockdowns throughout the pandemic, has a relatively low number of infections, hospitalisations, and deaths.

(Image: Unsplash/Representative)