COVID is turning kids into fussy eaters, scientists warn.
The virus is putting growing numbers of youngsters off their favourite foods by triggering parosmia – a change in the sense of smell.
It can lead to chocolate whiffing of petrol and lemons having the pong of old cabbage.
While this is a another side effect of Covid, experts have said that the Omicron variant is a milder one than those that came before it.
A string of hugely positive studies show Omicron is milder than other strains in the vaccinated, with the first official UK report revealing the risk of hospitalisation is 50 to 70 per cent lower than with Delta.
Covid booster jabs protect against Omicron and offer the best chance to get through the pandemic, health officials have repeatedly said.
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Professor Carl Philpott, from the University of East Anglia, said cases of parosmia in kids were “almost unheard of in children” before the pandemic.
But now “presentations in children are becoming increasingly common”.
He added: “Parosmia is thought to be a product of having less smell receptors working which leads to only being able to pick up some of the components of a smell mixture.
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“We know that an estimated 250,000 adults in the UK have suffered parosmia as a result of Covid.
“But in the last few months, particularly since Covid started sweeping through classrooms last September, we’ve become more and more aware that it’s affecting children too.
“In many cases the condition is putting children off their food, and many may be finding it difficult to eat at all.”
Prof Philpott is working with Fifth Sense, the charity for people affected by smell and taste disorders, to help kids get back on track.
He says parents should listen to their children when they say food is now whiffy, and keep a diary of which items are triggering.
Experts say it is easier to start with bland flavours, such as pasta or bananas – or even get kids to hold their nose while eating.
Prof Philpott added: “For some children – and particularly those who already had issues with food, or with other conditions such as autism – it can be really difficult. I expect there are a lot of parents at their wits end and really worried.
