“Not being able to smell might seem like a minor annoyance, at least compared to life-threatening COVID-19 complications. But to write off the loss of smell is to ignore how important it is to share a meal with friends, or appreciate the pine-scented festivity of a Christmas tree.”
Jamie Ducharme, Time Magazine
The Importance of Smell
Although your sense of smell may not provide as much sensory information as other senses, it is equally as important. It is crucial to your mental health and well-being. Your sense of smell is equally linked to your sense of taste, but that's only the beginning. A smell can alert you to danger like a gas leak, fire, or rotten food. It is also closely linked to parts of your brain that process emotion and memory. Have you ever smelled something that reminded you of a previous time?
An Introduction to Anosmia, being "noseblind"
There is a lot of research that shows that people with smell impairments are frequently ignored by healthcare systems and insurance companies. One of the most common impairments, known as Anosmia, refers to the total loss of sense of smell. Neja Bojovic, in her article "Anosmia, the disability of being noseblind" claims that the condition is no laughing matter. Anosmia has no known cure.
In Popular Media
Procter & Gamble, an American consumer goods giant, has been promoting its home freshener product, Febreze, using the phrase "noseblind". This refers to the fact that you may have become null to the bad scents in your home. Five percent of the world's population suffers from Anosmia, so this campaign has offended people who suffer from this condition. It turns a very real condition into a hashtag. People could argue that your sense of smell is the least important, but with people who suffer from Anosmia, (9 million in the US alone) that is most certainly not the case.
In Relation to COVID-19
One of the most prominent COVID-19 symptoms is a loss of taste and smell. In Ducharme's article, Many COVID-19 Survivors Still Can't Smell or Taste. Treating Them Isn't Easy, she states that the healthcare system is not equipped with guidelines to treat those with smell loss. And in relation, insurance companies are not equipped either. Anyone can walk into an eye doctor's office and take a vision test, but there is no such thing available for taste and smell. As such, many COVID-19 survivors, who have what is known as "long COVID", are still left in the dark about treatments.
Progress is being made, however. Patients have come together to create advocacy groups like the Smell and Taste Association of North America, which offers support and pushes for more research. There has been far more research into Anosmia and related conditions because of COVID-19. These include "smell tests", nasal drops containing Vitamin A, and other methods.
The Issue of Insurance Coverage for Anosmia
For those who suffer from Anosmia, or long-term COVID-19 symptoms, there are still few treatment options available. As such, many patients with this impairment go to the doctor and are unable to receive the treatments they need. This is because they are still under development, and not accessible to everyone. As such, patients with this condition who go to the doctor, should not have to pay copays when seeking treatment for this impairment.
Paying for copays out-of-pocket, when treatment is not even available, is impractical and could encourage patients from trying dangerous at-home treatment methods. One such method, that went viral on the social media platform TikTok, encouraged viewers to use nasal sprays containing zinc, which can actually destroy your sense of smell.
As a solution, healthcare systems should not charge additional fees for a condition that is currently unable to be treated. In addition, they should relay this information to patients and give patients the resources and information they deserve. Anosmia and COVID-19 are conditions that are unable to be acquired from someone's actions, and people should not be forced to pay to seek treatment for them.