In Sweden, 3 lakh people suffer from impaired sense of smell due to covid-19: Report
Sweden has difficulty handling the Corona virus. An estimated three million people in Sweden suffer from an impaired sense of smell due to covid-19, the country’s national news agency TT reported.
According to the report, there are long queues for clinics throughout the country that offer treatment for odor loss. With a population of over 10 million people, Sweden has only two such clinics that cure odor loss. The latest will open at Karolinska University Hospital in Huddinge near Stockholm’s capital in September.
Since the pandemic began, nearly 1.166 million people have been tested positive for the coronavirus and the death toll has reached 15,000, according to the latest statistics released by the Public Health Agency on Friday.
“We get patients from all over Sweden. I get contacted from all over,” says Charlotte Cervin-Hoberg, biomedical analyst at Lund University, to The Straits Times. The clinics were previously used to cure odor loss due to other causes, such as infections, head injuries and neurological diseases, but at present the majority of those seeking care are covid-19 patients.
People who have previously been infected with the virus also experience a distorted sense of smell and taste. Eva Höglund, who was infected with the virus in April 2020, told Norway Today that in addition to vanilla ice cream, most things taste and smell like cigarette butts or rotten meat to her.
Sweden Coronafall
The country has witnessed a slight increase in coronavirus cases since lifting its restrictions on September 30, such as a limited number of participants in public spaces and restaurants. Although people are advised to wear face masks and continue working from home, if possible, there are currently no plans to tighten the restrictions.
However, test restrictions remain in force, although they will be reduced on 1 November, and people who have not been vaccinated should take the same precautions as before.
Meanwhile, 84.7% of people aged 16 and over have received at least one dose of the vaccine, while 80.1% had received two doses. In comparison with other European countries, Sweden, which avoided extensive locks throughout the pandemic, has a relatively low number of infections, hospital stays and deaths.
(Image: Unsplash / Representative)