Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- Studies show that 5% of people who have had Covid are dealing with a long-term loss of smell or taste, which, according to one expert, could be considered a "new public health crisis".

About 5% of patients with confirmed cases of Covid-19 — about 27 million people worldwide — suffer a long-term loss of smell or taste, according to a new analysis.

In the analysis, published Wednesday in the BMJ (a peer-reviewed medical journal of the British Medical Association), researchers evaluated 18 previous studies on loss of smell and taste across multiple continents and demographics. About three-quarters of those who suffered from loss of taste or smell regained these senses within 30 days.

The analysis shows that loss of smell and taste can be a long-term problem that requires more research and health care resources for patients struggling with long-term symptoms.

“Having millions of people around the world with a reduced ability to smell may just be the next public health crisis,” Patel said.

Loss of smell was one of the clearest markers of Covid-19 in the early days of the pandemic.