Ireland’s summer wave of Covid-19 has calmed after reaching its peak in recent weeks, but officials are beginning to warn of a worse winter wave on the way.
Experts are also beginning to estimate that one in 20 people who test positive for the virus might have to deal with some symptoms of the virus for the rest of their lives.
The effects of Long Covid are now being analysed closely, with long-term symptoms varying in their severity, as reported by the Daily Express.
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Towards the lower end of the spectrum are those people who have lost their sense of smell and taste, which a recent study has predicted will never be regained by up to one in 20 of those infected by the coronavirus in the UK.
The study's leader - Paolo Boscolo-Rizzo of the University of Trieste - said: "Loss of smell and taste adversely affects quality of life by depriving those affected of several everyday pleasures and social bonds. People can also experience anorexia, food aversions, malnutrition, anxiety and depression."
A permanent loss of smell is known as parosmia. Other potential consequences of Covid such as heart palpitations or chronic fatigue syndrome, meanwhile, are deemed more serious.
That study also found low-income families were the most affected, implying a growing health inequality within the nation.
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