"Eating Journeys" App for COVID Patients with Anosmia

Temporary loss of smell, or anosmia, is the leading neurological symptom and one of the earliest and most commonly reported indicators of COVID-19. It can negatively affect many aspects of daily life—most notably eating. “87% of COVID patients with anosmia said they experienced a reduced enjoyment of food,” remark students Sarah Hackett and Cathy Tung, who teamed up to design Chewful, an app providing ‘tailored dining journeys’ to help improve the experience of eating for those without the ability to smell or taste.

“87% of COVID patients with anosmia (temporary loss of smell) said they experienced a reduced enjoyment of food. Could our app help them?”

Through their research, Cathy and Sarah also found that over 1.6 million people experienced long-term symptoms of anosmia from COVID. They identified interview subjects with either medical knowledge or who had themselves experienced mid to long-term anosmia from COVID. "Expert interviews revealed that there is no medical solution for anosmia," Cathy shares. "The interviewees who experienced mid-term loss became more anxious the longer they experienced anosmia. They reported that their experience with food became an entirely different one. Sarah shared that one interviewee told her that “it was only possible to focus on the texture of the food” and that “it was a mental challenge to try and enjoy it.”

Chewful provides users with customized eating experiences powered by deep learning and AI image recognition solution. Based on Mindful Eating—a technique helping people gain control over their eating habits—the app breaks down food experiences into step-by-step guides.

Let's take a closer look at how Chewful works: First, the user selects an experience by picking a cuisine type, a cooking technique, and the main ingredient. Next, an appetizing photo of the chosen dish fills the screen, followed by a guided meditation and detailed directions for preparing the recipe. The audio guide prompts users to savor the experience every step of the way—for example, "OK, bite down, just once. What do you notice? Slowly begin to chew, noticing what each bite brings." Finally, the app asks the user to rate the day's eating experience, helping COVID patients with anosmia track their recovery.