Could a distaste for broccoli indicate greater resistance to COVID-19?
Researchers are investigating whether so-called supertasters might have an edge against severe infections.
It sounds a little hard to swallow, but a new study suggests that how people react to bitter flavors correlates with the severity of their COVID-19 infection.
It’s an exciting insight because during the past 16 months, it’s become clear that people don’t respond to SARS-CoV-2 predictably. It’s been impossible to determine whether someone will experience mild symptoms or develop life-threatening respiratory disease. Imagine if a simple taste test could indicate a person’s risk of developing severe COVID-19.
“This is a very interesting study that suggests that receptors on our tongue that allow us to sense bitter flavors are also linked to our vulnerability to respiratory infections like COVID-19,” says David Aronoff, director of the division of infectious diseases at
