According to the World Health Organisation, with more people testing positive for Covid-19, many patients have reported the loss of smell and taste after testing positive and some reported the same problem after getting vaccinated.

Dr Menelas Nkeshimana, the Team Lead for Covid-19 Case Management at Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC) said people who have tested positive for Covid-19 including those with the delta variant, often have this problem.

Sometimes, he says that patients will lose appetite which might slow down their recovery.

"Some people only lose smell, and others lose both, this is because it is possible that the virus could directly invade the nerve cells associated with your senses of smell and taste and damage them which leaves you without these senses,” he added.

Nkeshimana shares four tips on what to do in case you lose taste or smell;

Do not panic

This is the first and foremost step, it can be hard for some people, but the patient needs to understand that is one of the effects, or one of the symptoms of Covid-19 and it will go away eventually.

"Not panicking will help you better take care of yourself and follow all the instructions given to you by your doctor,” he says.

Take Vitamins

This can be in the form of tablets or fruits, this will help in boosting your immune system and help your body in fighting the virus, and once your body has gotten rid of the virus, the patient will be able to regain their taste and smell senses.

In addition to the vitamins, Nkeshimana urges the patient to always maintain a healthy diet and drink lots of liquids.

Do not add too much spices in your food

"Due to the loss of taste, someone might feel compelled to add too much salt, sugar, pepper and spices just so they can get a little bit of taste of the food, but we recommend everyone not to, because this will endanger your body and might cause other health complications in addition to the ones you have,” he said.

He added: "We recommend everyone to be careful and eat a moderate amount of sugar, salt and pepper and refrain from adding too much.” he added.

Avoid smoking and excessive consumption of alcohol

"Tobacco and alcohol not only come with their health risks but also will cause more damage to the nerves, and this will slow down the healing process, which will make the patient take more time to heal and regain their senses,” said Nkeshimana.

Nkeshimana urges anyone who has experienced this problem to be patient and follow all the instructions given to them by their doctors, and with time, they will regain their senses.