Food still doesn’t taste right, even months after your bout with COVID? You may have lingering traces of COVID-19 on your tongue, new research published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) reveals.
The virus can remain in parts of the tongue containing our taste buds, disrupting the formation and regeneration of new taste buds for up to 63 weeks after an acute infection.
Of all the COVID symptoms reported during the pandemic, perhaps the strangest is “COVID tongue,” an infection-related rash or inflammation affecting the mouth and tongue. In some cases, the tongue may appear swollen and discolored. The rash can manifest in various forms, from small, flat, red or purple spots to large, raised bumps.
George Citroner
Author
George Citroner reports on health and medicine, covering topics that include cancer, infectious diseases, and neurodegenerative conditions. He was awarded the Media Orthopaedic Reporting Excellence (MORE) award in 2020 for a story on osteoporosis risk in men.
