The omicron COVID-19 variant that swept the world in late 2021 and early 2022 is not as likely to cause long COVID in those who get infected, a study released Thursday determined.

The study was published in the Lancet and collected data from thousands of people participating in the Zoe Health Study.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that long COVID symptoms generally could last weeks or months after infection. Long COVID can cause patients to have difficulty breathing, coughing and general tiredness well after being infected with the virus.

While long COVID symptoms might be less likely with those who are infected with the omicron variant, researchers said the condition’s symptoms remain a concern.

“Omicron appears to cause less severe acute illness than previous variants, at least in vaccinated populations,” the study noted. “However, the potential for large numbers of people to experience long-term symptoms is a major concern, and health and workforce planners need information urgently to appropriately scale resource allocation.”

The CDC noted that unvaccinated people generally face a higher risk of long COVID symptoms.

One caveat to the study is it does not detail the duration of long COVID symptoms, nor does it address the severity of the symptoms.

The study noted that because of the large number of people infected with the omicron variant in late 2021 and early 2022, the number of people suffering from long COVID also increased.

DES MOINES, Iowa —

Imagine a delicious cheeseburger or steak coming off the grill having a rotten taste. That's the reality for a Des Moines, Iowa, woman who had COVID-19 in February.

Kathy Olson said she lost her sense of taste and smell for a couple of weeks following her COVID-19 diagnosis. After recovering from the virus she was able to taste and smell again, but months later, everything tastes and smells rotten to her.

Olson said she's suffering from parosmia, which is a condition that distorts smell. She said it's affecting her taste as well.

"I had meat and it started tasting really rotten," Olson said.

Dr. Leyla Best with Unity Point tells sister station KCCI that loss of taste and smell is frequently associated with COVID-19, but about 75% of people regain those senses within a couple of months.

"There has been different degrees of these symptoms persisting with COVID-19 symptoms, but those are initially persisting more at the beginning," Best said.

Best said it's not common that people lose their sense of taste and smell, get it back and then lose it again.

Olson said she's been dealing with a rotten smell and taste for two months. She's lost 28 pounds and can barely stomach most foods.

"Wherever I was going, walking through the house, almost feeling like I was going to pass out sometimes," Olson said.

Olson said her doctors told her that parosmia lasts for an average of 10 months.