From the earliest days of the global pandemic, one of the most common symptoms of a COVID-19 infection has also been on of the oddest: a loss of the sense of smell, more technically known as olfactory dysfunction. That symptom has often been treated as something of a minor side effect of the illness, and when the serious effects can include death, it is easy to overlook almost anything else. The loss of a sense of smell or taste has also been regarded as a temporary effect. However, as a report from the Journal of the American Medical Association reports, that may not be the case. Loss of smell and taste turns out to be more persistent than anyone really expected. The number of people suffering from chronic olfactory dysfunction lasting at least six months may already be over 1 million. And as the pandemic drags on, that number is only increasing. As the number of noseless Americans increases, the results can be surprisingly widely reaching. And dangerous. And disheartening. And also kind of disgusting. Read more