Surgeons at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH) have successfully restored the sense of smell and taste in patients who lost these senses due to long Covid. The patients, who had suffered from this condition for more than two years and had not improved with other treatments, underwent a pioneering surgery called functional septorhinoplasty (fSRP). This surgery expands the nasal airways to boost airflow into the olfactory region, which controls smell. The increased delivery of odorants to this area kickstarts smell recovery in patients who have lost their sense of smell to long Covid. In the trial, all patients who had the surgery reported an improved sense of smell, while none of the patients in the control group, who continued with smell training, experienced improvement. One patient, Penelope Newman, stated that her taste and smell have almost returned to normal after the operation, allowing her to enjoy food and socializing with friends and family.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/mar/07/long-covid-patients-regain-sense-smell-taste-functional-septorhinoplasty-surgery