据福布斯网站12月15日报道，美国一项最新研究发现，嗅觉和味觉减退的新冠病毒感染者，其产生更高水平抗体的可能性更大。该研究发表在PLOS One期刊上。研究认为，感染新冠期间的嗅觉和味觉失灵是强力免疫反应的强预测因素。不过，这项始于2020年的研究仍存在一定局限性。由于研究对象需自行报告是否在感染期间和之后出现嗅觉味觉失灵，这意味着有些人可能无法准确回忆当时情况。

 

In a new study published in the journal PLOS One, a group of researchers based in the United States found that the odds¹ of developing greater amounts of antibodies to the coronavirus could be two times higher among those who experienced altered smell and taste post infection.

美国一项新研究发现，感染新冠病毒后出现嗅觉和味觉减退的人，其产生更高水平抗体的可能性要高出两倍。该研究发表在PLOS One期刊上。

 

At the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, loss of smell and taste were identified as one of the key symptoms of a SARS-CoV-2 infection. It has been reported that loss of smell is experienced by at least 43% up to 62% of people who had Covid-19 and tends to occur in the early stages after catching² the virus. Out of this, around 20% might have experienced no other symptom other than an impaired³ sense of smell.

在疫情初期，嗅觉味觉丧失被确定为新冠感染的主要症状之一。据报道，新冠病毒感染者中，至少43%至62%的人会出现嗅觉失灵，并且该症状往往发生在感染病毒后的初期阶段。此外，约20%的人除嗅觉减退外可能并没有其他症状。

 

To gain a better understanding of how people with altered smell and taste might have developed antibodies after a Covid-19 infection, the researchers enrolled⁴ 309 patients who are a part of the NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center convalescent plasma⁵ trials. All of them had been diagnosed with Covid-19 recently when the trial had begun in 2020. More than 60% of them were white women. Around 64% of them reported loss of smell and/or loss of taste.

为了更好地研究感染新冠后嗅觉味觉减退的人产生抗体的情况，研究人员招募了309名患者，他们参加了纽约长老会医院和哥伦比亚大学欧文医学中心的恢复期血浆试验。2020年研究开始时，这些参与者都刚刚确诊新冠，其中超过60%是白人女性。大约64%的人报告了嗅觉和（或）味觉失灵。

 

"Results from our study suggest that loss of smell and taste during COVID-19 infection are strong predictive factors for a robust⁶ immunologic response." the researchers concluded.

研究人员总结称：“研究结果表明，感染新冠期间的嗅觉和味觉失灵是强免疫反应的强预测因素。”

 

However, a major limitation of the study is that the participants had themselves reported whether or not they experienced a loss of smell and taste during and after a Covid-19 infection. That means several participants might have faced difficulties in recalling whether their sense of smell or taste was altered or not. 

然而，该研究存在一个主要局限性。参与者自己报告他们是否在感染期间和之后出现嗅觉味觉失灵。这意味着一些参与者可能无法准确回忆起自己的嗅觉或味觉是否改变。

 

Also, the data of was collected during multiple ongoing⁷ lockdowns and poor availability of Covid-19 tests — opening up the possibility of a severe underreporting of symptoms.

此外，数据是在多次持续封控、人们难以进行新冠病毒检测的情况下收集的，这可能导致症状严重漏报。

 

A 2022 study revealed that at least 90% of people who lost their sense of smell or taste gradually get it back within a span of two years. The good news is, only 5% of people who reported losing their sense of smell or taste said it lasted for six months, although, women seem to be more prone⁸ to suffer from this symptom than men. While there are several theories as to why a Covid-19 infection might alter an individual’s sense of smell and taste, a lot of uncertainties⁹ still persist.

2022年的一项研究显示，至少90%嗅觉或味觉失灵的新冠感染者在两年内逐渐恢复嗅觉或味觉。好消息是，报告嗅觉或味觉失灵的人群中，只有5%的人表示这种症状持续了六个月，女性似乎比男性更易出现该症状。关于感染新冠可能改变个体嗅觉和味觉的原因有多种解释，但这些理论仍存在许多不确定性。

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