20 ms·

Some coronavirus patients haven't gotten their senses of smell or taste back yet

280 points by samspenc 6y ago

hkai 6y ago
Apparently that's a very small number, so that anecdote is irrelevant.
disillusioned 6y ago
I had Covid-19 (confirmed antibodies test, wife had confirmed PCR) in early March. Lost my sense of smell and taste _completely_, almost immediately. I've lost some smell before with bad allergies or a congested nose. This was otherworldly: no smell, at all. Not solvents. Not strong fragrances. Nothing. And this, with a perfectly clear nose. It freaked me out. It lasted for about 2.5 weeks. Around week 3, it started to very, very slowly come back. I went from literally 0.0% to about 10%-15%. I could smell traces of things if I inhaled very deeply. I was super paranoid it was gone forever. I can't tell you how joyless eating becomes when you have ZERO sense of taste or smell. Finally, around the end of week 4, I was probably close to 75%. I'm _finally_ back to 100% today. This virus sucks.
- thombat 6y ago
  Very interesting description, since the early casual discussions of this symptom assumed that it was simply mechanical ('flu symptoms, inflamed mucous membranes, stuffed nose, of course they can't smell). Later I saw it described as a neurological issue and so potentially being a lot more serious, which your experience seems to support. Other than the concomitant anxiety and stress ("freaked me out") did you notice other neurological symptoms?
  - hwillis 6y ago
    it's definitely not stuffy nose, I had the same utterly dry nose. In fact I felt more aware of the inside of my sinuses than I ever have before... they felt completely empty. It was almost nice except that it was really freaky and something felt off about the sensation. My nose has recovered significantly and I have a more familiar pressure in my cheekbones and forehead that was missing when I was sick. IMO, based entirely on my own anecdotal experience, it's probably that the virus is really, really lethal against the respiratory lining. I have no idea what would make it so specific- maybe ACE? But it felt like it was just burning through my lungs and then my nose. It felt... dead, inside. The ~8 hour period of losing my sense of smell was characterized by an extremely powerful smell of snot and a subtle kind of ammonia-like sensation. The distinctive smell of snot is apparently mostly due to free radicals generated by dying cells. I'm not sure this contradicts with nerve-related action though, which could presumably cause similar sensations.
- jansan 6y ago
  Did you have no sense of taste at all? I had to live with almost no sense of smell for about 20 years, but I could taste sweet and salty. So if you put a spoon of sugar in your mouth, there was no sense of sweetness at all? If so, that would really be a next level experience.
  - bennyelv 6y ago
    Interested to know how that happened! I've got a neurological condition (MS) that one time meant that sweet tasted bitter, but only on one side of my tongue. It wasn't a pleasant experience, but thankfully it only lasted a couple of weeks before improving and eventually returning to normal (for now).
  - hwillis 6y ago
    For me, I could not tell the difference between coffee and water. Energy drinks did not taste at all sweet; they felt slightly syrupy/viscous and I could feel the bubbles on my tongue. I could sense saltiness to some degree, but not in a way I can relate to how I taste things now.
    - jansan 6y ago
      Then this was definitely not caused by congestion. Would be really interesting to know what was going on with your senses at that time.
- foldr 6y ago
  Pretty much exactly the same thing happened to me. I had a very mild case of suspected Covid-19 (no fever or cough). However, I was mildly fatigued for weeks afterwards, and my sense of smell, though it has returned, is still not at 100%. As you say, the freaky thing about it is that you really lose your sense of smell completely. It's quite different to the experience you have with a cold or a stuffed up nose.
- m0xte 6y ago
  Same here. Recovered approx 6 weeks ago and coffee only just tastes reasonable again. My eating habits have changed in the recovery time. Probably for the better!
  - rightbyte 6y ago
    How bad was the typical symptoms (fever etc) compared to the smell issue?
    - m0xte 6y ago
      Absolutely awful. Temp hit 41 oC regularly over the space of 3-4 days. Couldn't move. In agony and sweating constantly.
- waterside81 6y ago
  Happy to hear you’re doing better. Any idea how you contracted it?
- jryan49 6y ago
  Same exact thing happened to me. I had a negative antibody test.
  - Tagbert 6y ago
    If you were to take another antibody test, I bet you would test positive. They are proving to be somewhat unreliable.
- sparkywolf 6y ago
  For a medical reason not related to Covid in any way, I've lived my entire life not being able to smell anything, whatsoever. I'm getting a surgery in two days that should give me a sense of smell. While I'm over the moon excited to be able to smell... I didn't even think about how it would affect taste...
  - eganist 6y ago
    The La Croix trend will make sense to you once you do. It won't necessarily appeal to you, however.
  - creaghpatr 6y ago
    There's a lot of great smells out there...and some not so great. Good luck!
  - phkahler 6y ago
    What surgery? I know someone with no sense of smell and didnt think there was any hope of fixing it.
    - nvr219 6y ago
      Nose replacement surgery
    - sparkywolf 6y ago
      Nasal Polypectomy as well as severe deviated septum
  - TrueGeek 6y ago
    My mother has 0% sense of smell. Her cooking skills were... spotty.
    - gnulinux 6y ago
      Just another anecdote: my grandmother lost her sense of smell in her 20s after a car crash. Her cooking skills were pretty ok. She wasn't an amazing cook, but definitely made food better than me and my mom.
- michaelcampbell 6y ago
  I lost my sense of smell for a couple months for other reasons, and yeah it's awful. Lost a lot of weight because I didn't eat as much, or as often. I've never been a big eater/foodie to begin with but it surprised me how little interest I had in food.
- meowface 6y ago
  Suspected case here with similar symptoms a few months ago. Eating felt so weird. It's really just sad and bizarre, like your brain is almost reflexively telling you you're eating something inedible because you're not getting the taste and smell feedback of "this is food". I was so relieved when both senses started gradually coming back.
  - brianwawok 6y ago
    Might be really good for weight loss. Would be real sad when I drink some paint thinner and eat a stale load of bread though.
- perf1 6y ago
  Zinc deficiency also results in loss of smell. I heard the theory that your immune system consumes your Zinc reserves to fight the Virus.
  - hwillis 6y ago
    No, that doesn't track. Smell impairment (not even loss) only comes with very severe zinc deficiency- which is not happening over a single day. I lost my sense of smell over roughly 8 hours. There are also tons of other symptoms of zinc poisoning that would be very obvious. It doesn't make sense that it would do smell, but not sight or hair loss. People have been trying to tie covid to zinc since the beginning, IMO mostly out of desperation. Zinc oral sprays were pulled by the FDA for causing permanent total loss of smell- by coating the inside of your nose with zinc. People just wanted it to be related.
bryanrasmussen 6y ago
This is actually why I just posted this https://gizmodo.com/this-lickable-screen-can-recreate-almost-any-taste-or-f-1843609903 https://gizmodo.com/this-lickable-screen-can-recreate-almost... "This Lickable Screen Can Recreate Almost Any Taste or Flavor Without Eating Food" I wonder if the process outlined could be used in therapy to bring back taste.
gambiting 6y ago
The thing that people don't realise with virus infections is that it can mess you up for a long time, even if it's not lethal. I've had a human parvovirus B19 infection last year(apparently it's incredibly rare in adults, but hey ho), and yeah, I felt like absolute shit for about 2 months, really high fevers, no appetite, basically like a very bad flu that lasted nearly 2 months, but then once it finally went away, I started having massive issues with my joins, widespread inflammation of knees, elbows, shoulders, fingers - like a bad case of arthritis. Was told by rheumatologists that it's a relatively common thing to happen after virus infections, since your own immune system was in high gear after the virus, so now it attacks your own joints instead. Unfortunately it doesn't really have a cure as such, I was given a few steroid injections that settled it down for now but it's still not 100% fine. Or I can go on a long term(1-2 years at least) treatment with methotrexate, but that has a whole lot of its own side effects as well so I'm not very keen. So yeah, virus infections SUCK, even if they don't kill you.
- neuronic 6y ago
  Epstein-Barr virus (mono) fucked me up for weeks and I have never been the same since then. Jumpstarted hypothyroidism as well which is now autoimmune/Hashimoto's. Virus infections can really really mess you up.
  - loufe 6y ago
    I also had a very rough ride from mono. I was in bed for over a month and came out some very unpleasant side effects. I developed a tic disorder (suspected PANDAS) which has lasted the 6 years since and my immune system was so weak I caught the common cold about once a month for 2 years. Also launched me into depression which took a couple years to climb out of. It is no joke, that's for sure.
- ImaCake 6y ago
  I had a really bad case of strep-throat a few years back and got a similar auto-immune problem afterwards. Never got a proper diagnosis because I looked okay and put on a show of good spirits when talking. But for two months I couldn't leave the house; if I walked further than the kitchen my ankles and knees would swell so much that I would be moaning on my bed in pain for hours. I felt so lonely and so lost from the world. It took a year before the obvious symptoms really dissapeared (but I could hike again after about 4 months) and I still have trouble maintaining joint and muscle strength in my legs after getting a cold or virus. Now I can appreciate chronic illness and how isolating it is, even if just a little bit. You can have an amazing support network and still fall through the cracks. I am so glad that I still have my health and try not to take it for granted.
amelius 6y ago
Slightly offtopic warning. I temporarily lost my sense of smell when I was on a zinc supplement (lozenges). It turned out this is a known effect of zinc lozenges. Zinc supplements should be swallowed immediately. Stay away from nasal sprays that contain zinc. More information: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Zinc-Health%20Professional/ https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Zinc-Health%20Professional... (search for "anosmia", the medical term for loss of sense of smell)
ImaCake 6y ago
I am congenital for anosmia (that is, I have never had a sense of smell) so I always find discussions about anosmia interesting. As a contribution: the experiences of never having smelt is very different from the experience of loosing it later in life. The former is something that dawns on the person sometime in their youth when they realise they really can't smell farts. The other is a crushing loss of joy from their lives when they lose the wonderful taste of food, fresh flowers, and "new car smell" (whatever that is!). I never lost these things, I love food, and I like looking at pretty flowers. I am jealous that I don't experience smelling, but I do not miss it because I never had it in the first place. As a side note, living with anosmia is mildly inconvienient for most. I am paranoid about food going off, and working with flammable gasses is always a little unnerving. Apparently the rates of depression, dysfunctional relationships, and early death are somewhat higher in my cohort. I personally have little trouble with it, and find my condition a useful conversation starter at social events.
- altacc 6y ago
  Thanks for the insight. I can appreciate the paranoia about not smelling important cues. I once worked in a bio-lab with somebody with anosmia. One day they accidentally split a very noxious chemical without realising until somebody else walked into the room, hit the extraction system into overdrive and pulled them out of the toxic air.
dt_nl 6y ago
Hi there, dutch male, just under 60, overall good health, healthy way of living. Halfway march I noticed light Covid related stuff like higher temp (for just 1 day), headache (longer period, not every day), no energy (6 weeks) and then a loss of taste and smell (not very suddenly as I recall). After 7 to 8 weeks taste came back lightly (like smelling toiletcleaner and strong things) and now after a recovery to +- 25% of smell and taste, it is again getting less (10%). And all the time a totally free breathing through the nose. I can taste salt and sweet but for Instance no garlic. And one other noticable thing, both sides under the back of my tongue feel like they are a bit irritated, lightly swollen salivary glands (for what it is worth).
random_upvoter 6y ago
I had some flu thing in the beginning of February and I had this weird symptom where anything that contained vinegar (like ketchup) had this terrible acetone-like taste -- I almost brought back the bottle to the store for a refund.
steveeq1 6y ago
"some"
eluusive 6y ago
Okay... so? This is a symptom of many viruses. My sister got Bell's Palsy from the flu a couple months ago and still hasn't recovered. What are the relative rates of these issues with nCoV-19 over Rhinovirus, normal Coronavirus, and Flu A/B? Any neurotropic virus can cause this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anosmia#List_of_causes https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anosmia#List_of_causes Examples of such viruses: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neurotropic_virus#Examples https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neurotropic_virus#Examples Influenza
lykr0n 6y ago
Well, that truly sucks. COVID-19 is going to cause long term problems for this generation. I'm glad I got over it without issue, but I have to wonder what's in store for my future.
- adventured 6y ago
  I'll be surprised if over time a few million people in the US don't end up with blood clot related complications from having mild cases of Covid. I suspect the healthcare industrial complex will wave their hands at the notion that Covid caused the damage (they do this with anything inconvenient to their interests, like the millions of people damaged by Cipro, a drug they've handed out like candy to millions of people for decades), it'll largely get buried/lost in the outsized cardiovascular & other health problem numbers in the American population.
  - lykr0n 6y ago
    I'm not so sure. We're already starting to see people publish studies on how nasty this is an long term issues. This is too big for it to be ignored down the road. Time is all it will take for us to know.
- vmception 6y ago
  such as prior exposure being the pre-existing condition that everyone else dismisses your life for
macintux 6y ago
So much emphasis is placed on the fatality rate, but there’s a lot of middle ground between asymptomatic and dead.
- irq11 6y ago
  ”So much emphasis is placed on the fatality rate, but there’s a lot of middle ground between asymptomatic and dead.“ ...and this is the same middle ground that exists for every other cold and flu, every single year. Anosmia is a common side effect of a variety of illnesses, and in the vast majority of cases, it resolves on its own. But this fact doesn’t make good headlines
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
- irq11 6y ago
  This is the same middle ground that exists for every other cold and flu, every single year. Anosmia is a common side effect of a variety of illnesses, and in the vast majority of cases, it resolves on its own. But this fact doesn’t make good headlines.
  - macintux 6y ago
    Indeed, but there is no shortage of evidence that this disease is more damaging than the flu. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-05-12/covid-19-s-health-effects-can-last-long-after-virus-is-gone https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-05-12/covid-19-... > “These data demonstrated that the recovered SARS patients had a poor quality of life 12 years following recovery, and were susceptible to inflammation, tumors, and glucose and lipid metabolic disorders,” researchers wrote.
    - irq11 6y ago
      I wasn’t making a broad comparison to the flu. But if I were, I’d cite the most recent CDC numbers, which put the overall fatality rates somewhere around 3-4x worse than the flu, in the expected case: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/planning-scenarios.html https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/planning-scena... Yes, this virus is worse than the flu. But not nearly to the extent being portrayed by the OP. All illnesses have long-term sequelae. (Also, since you’re right that we have ample data on this virus, it seems an odd choice to cite data for SARS, when discussing Covid-19.)
theonemind 6y ago
Interestingly, not exactly COVID-19 related, people that lose their sense of taste return to eating normally, but people that lose a sense of feel in their mouth never seem to fully recover their appetite. I mean, not to say I want to lose my sense of taste, just that losing feel in your mouth seems probably worse.
- williamxd3 6y ago
  I lost half of my tongue senses on a wisdom tooth extraction, it came back slowly during 3 month (its almost 100% back now) but it was terrifying the first week, I just kept thinking If I could live with that, a feeling of depression hit hard
- SpicyLemonZest 6y ago
  Yeah, texture is a surprisingly large part of what people enjoy about food. It's honestly weird that we consider it a separate thing from taste, since you take it into account almost as much as flavor when you cook.
- cableshaft 6y ago
  My sense of taste has diminished (a couple of years ago), I think because I had a needle full of anesthetic jabbed into my gumline a few too many times and they hit my nerve once. I no longer really taste much of anything in the front half of my tongue. Still can in the back half, though. I've gotten used to it, although it annoys me when I think about it. I'm lucky I haven't lost it completely, that would be a sad day. I think you're right, in that as long as I can feel the food, I could eat alright. Probably would eat a bit healthier, though.
chadcmulligan 6y ago
A friend of mine lost his sense of smell some years ago from the flu
- snazz 6y ago
  Are there any published statistics on how common that is? I wonder what it inflames or irritates that can't come back after the body recovers from the virus.
  - zelphirkalt 6y ago
    That's also what I am wondering about. Could it also have a psychological component? (Not making it any less terrifying.)
    - ImaCake 6y ago
      Not sure why you are being downvoted. Negative placebo effect is real and anosmia (smell blindness) has been making headlines with the 'rona. To answer the original question: "Postviral olfactory disorders usually occur after an upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) associated with a common cold or influenza. With a prevalence between 11 and 40% they are among the common causes of olfactory disorders." From here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16733337/?from_term=anosmia+influenza&from_pos=3 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16733337/?from_term=anosmia+...
marcell 6y ago
Taste is highly related to smell, and smell is related to congestion symptoms that are typical for respiratory diseases. Taste and smell loss happens with cold and flu as well, since they are also respiratory diseases: [1] > The exact mechanism behind post-viral anosmia [smell/taste loss] isn’t yet understood, but it is clear that the various viruses that cause the common cold, including flu, somehow damage and interfere with the olfactory epithelium Let's not get carried away with the Covid fear hysteria. This is just an example of a risk that already existed that was never on society's collective radar. Moreover, it's only been a few weeks or months. It's entirely likely that the taste/smell loss is temporary. [1] https://www.fifthsense.org.uk/post-viral-olfactory-loss/ https://www.fifthsense.org.uk/post-viral-olfactory-loss/
- HarryHirsch 6y ago
  Let's not get carried away with the Covid fear hysteria You know that the olfactory nerve is a cranial nerve, it's actually part of the brain. Anything neurotropic should be cause for extreme caution.
  - SpicyLemonZest 6y ago
    The world is already being extremely cautious about the coronavirus, and I'm sure it will continue to do so.
    - claudeganon 6y ago
      Citation needed for the US. The two sides seem to be “workers and grandma need to die for the economy” and “workers and grandma need to die for the economy, in phases, as described by this PowerPoint.”
      - mmmeff 6y ago
        Let's leave the political jabs out of HN and keep this civil. Realistically, the US isn't trying to kill their grandmas.
bashinator 6y ago
I lost my sense of taste a few years ago, from a combination of extreme stress and the flu. Lasted about a week, and it was utterly terrifying. I first noticed it when I tried to eat, iirc scrambled eggs, and couldn't stop gagging on the texture. Once I figured out what was going on, it took a couple days to figure out what I could eat without retching. I ended up being entirely vegetarian - meat without taste is a horrible experience, and only ate milk and eggs as ingredients. Overall, 0/10, do not recommend unless you have to go vegan but don't have any willpower. When my sense of taste gradually returned, I practically cried I was so relieved.
- jmnicolas 6y ago
  FWIW critical lack of zinc is associated with loss of smell and taste. Apparently the body consumes a lot of zinc to fight viruses. You might benefit of supplementing for while.
- bmikaili 6y ago
  Imagine thinking only animal products have taste. Try that steak without any sauce or seasoning.
  - humanrebar 6y ago
    That's an odd standard. I don't like carrots without salt either.
  - bashinator 6y ago
    I love steak with no seasoning. And I brought up the animal products because they were the most extreme example, but I also couldn't eat raw lettuce (tasted like cardboard). As a salad lover, this fucked me up almost as badly as the meat. I was pretty much doing peanuts, noodles, tofu, and meal supplement shakes.
- Angostura 6y ago
  I lost my sense of smell for about 6 months following a bad cold/ something flu-y. Initially I didn;t really notice - I wasn't enjoying food much, but it was when I was painting a room and realised I couldn't smell paint that I really noticed. I remember when it came back. Someone made me a cup of tea (I'm British) and I rhapsodised for about 5 minutes about what an excellent cup of tea it was. Up until then, I couldn't really detect any difference between tea and coffee.
jdkee 6y ago
There is a lot of evidence for this occurring during the 1918 influenza pandemic. See https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/jul/22/pale-rider-laura-spinney-review https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/jul/22/pale-rider-lau...
- ImaCake 6y ago
  Flu and common colds are known to cause anosmia. I guess the scale of it is different when its something novel.
neonate 6y ago
https://archive.md/OaNuq https://archive.md/OaNuq
- apanoia 6y ago
  Thanks!!
deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
H8crilA 6y ago
Losing your sense of smell, while painful, is nothing compared to what other things can happen to the surviors. 50% of ICU patients have clotting problems. In fact it's so common that all covid patients are now put on anti-clotting medication, immediately, no questions asked. Would you mind losing your leg (getting that clot stuck in lower limbs)? Or getting a stroke (getting that clot in your brain), and losing a significant part of brain capacity, such as the ability to speak? Then, 30% have serious kidney problems and require nephrologist care or outright dialysis [1]. And we're still learning. Never forget the unknown unknowns. It's ridiculous to quote some survival statistic and call it a covid-barbecue. [1] https://www.wsj.com/articles/coronavirus-hijacks-the-body-from-head-to-toe-perplexing-doctors-11588864248 https://www.wsj.com/articles/coronavirus-hijacks-the-body-fr...
- C1sc0cat 6y ago
  From uk experience if you go into ICU or any high risk ward they tend to put you in the inflatable leg splints. Serous kidney problems are no joke and you might well end up with chronic kidney failure - so you will be on the pathway to dialysis and transplant in the future.
- arcticbull 6y ago
  50% of ICU patients isn't even close to 50% of infected though, so it's important to keep that in mind.
  - abiogenesis 6y ago
    Did 50% of infected lose their sense of smell or taste?
    - PeterisP 6y ago
      Not 50%, but a significant portion - IIRC the South Korea studies had 30% prevalence of smell loss for infected with mild symptoms; but it generally was temporary, unlike the cases described in this article.
    - 6y ago
freecodyx 6y ago
I remeber I was always happy when I lose my sense of taste and smell because of flu, this will help eat more, I don't eat a lot, and my options are limited because of high sense of smell and taste,
- samatman 6y ago
  That... doesn't sound typical of influenza, to put it mildly. Blunted senses are the last thing on my mind with persistent nausea, dizziness, sweating buckets, and having to lean on the wall on the way to the kitchen.
perl4ever 6y ago
I know someone who is in the age range most vulnerable to covid-19 who always says she has no sense of smell, but my impression is it's a long-standing thing, possibly related to allergies or something.
jshaqaw 6y ago
I lost my sense of smell for about a mo th which was my primary Covid symptom. I think I am now back at least 75% after two months (I was in the early wave of NYC).
williesleg 6y ago
I guess it's good for all those Chinese eating shit and dead bugs. Virus operating as designed.
NoPicklez 6y ago
This is what worries me most about being a mid 20's person during the pandemic. I know its unlikely I'd die if I contracted but if it left me with significant long term health problems, that's what keeps me inside.
Animats 6y ago
We may be entering a new phase of this disease soon. Treatments are coming along. Stanford is testing interferon-lambda.[1] Known drug, used for treating hepatitis. This has to be given early, within 2 days of testing positive for the virus. A group in the UK is testing interferon-beta. Eli Lily is testing an engineered antibody.[2] This is new technology, an antibody specifically targeted to this virus. Testing in humans just started; no results yet. Lily is putting this into production in advance of testing, to get the production scaleup problems out of the way, in hope it works. There are other drugs in development; these are all in human testing now. Early stage treatment options change things. Advice will change from "stay home until it gets serious" to "get tested and treated as soon as there's any suspicion." Instead of overloaded ICUs, front-line medical care gets overloaded. It really starts to matter than the US doesn't have enough testing capacity. [1] https://med.stanford.edu/id/covid19/lambda.html https://med.stanford.edu/id/covid19/lambda.html [2] https://www.biopharmadive.com/news/eli-lilly-abcellera-coronavirus-antibody-drug-first-trial/578980/ https://www.biopharmadive.com/news/eli-lilly-abcellera-coron...
halotrope 6y ago
For older people loss of smell seems to indicate a higher probability to die within 5 years. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4182669/#!po=0.877193 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4182669/#!po=0....
- hinkley 6y ago
  Food poisoning will get ya. That’s why we have this chemistry lab in our heads, taking up a bunch of useful space in the center.
- throwaway888abc 6y ago
  Wow, was not aware something like this exists. Informative. Thanks for your comment
misja111 6y ago
My mother (73) had Corona in March. She had a throat ache, headache and loss of sense of smell and taste. The symptoms passed after a couple of days but her sense of smell did not come back. Even today, almost 3 months later, it has still not fully recovered.

280 points by samspenc 6y ago

hkai 6y ago

Apparently that's a very small number, so that anecdote is irrelevant.

I had Covid-19 (confirmed antibodies test, wife had confirmed PCR) in early March. Lost my sense of smell and taste _completely_, almost immediately. I've lost some smell before with bad allergies or a congested nose. This was otherworldly: no smell, at all. Not solvents. Not strong fragrances. Nothing. And this, with a perfectly clear nose. It freaked me out. It lasted for about 2.5 weeks. Around week 3, it started to very, very slowly come back. I went from literally 0.0% to about 10%-15%. I could smell traces of things if I inhaled very deeply. I was super paranoid it was gone forever. I can't tell you how joyless eating becomes when you have ZERO sense of taste or smell. Finally, around the end of week 4, I was probably close to 75%. I'm _finally_ back to 100% today. This virus sucks.

thombat 6y ago
Very interesting description, since the early casual discussions of this symptom assumed that it was simply mechanical ('flu symptoms, inflamed mucous membranes, stuffed nose, of course they can't smell). Later I saw it described as a neurological issue and so potentially being a lot more serious, which your experience seems to support. Other than the concomitant anxiety and stress ("freaked me out") did you notice other neurological symptoms?
- hwillis 6y ago
  it's definitely not stuffy nose, I had the same utterly dry nose. In fact I felt more aware of the inside of my sinuses than I ever have before... they felt completely empty. It was almost nice except that it was really freaky and something felt off about the sensation. My nose has recovered significantly and I have a more familiar pressure in my cheekbones and forehead that was missing when I was sick. IMO, based entirely on my own anecdotal experience, it's probably that the virus is really, really lethal against the respiratory lining. I have no idea what would make it so specific- maybe ACE? But it felt like it was just burning through my lungs and then my nose. It felt... dead, inside. The ~8 hour period of losing my sense of smell was characterized by an extremely powerful smell of snot and a subtle kind of ammonia-like sensation. The distinctive smell of snot is apparently mostly due to free radicals generated by dying cells. I'm not sure this contradicts with nerve-related action though, which could presumably cause similar sensations.
jansan 6y ago
Did you have no sense of taste at all? I had to live with almost no sense of smell for about 20 years, but I could taste sweet and salty. So if you put a spoon of sugar in your mouth, there was no sense of sweetness at all? If so, that would really be a next level experience.
- bennyelv 6y ago
  Interested to know how that happened! I've got a neurological condition (MS) that one time meant that sweet tasted bitter, but only on one side of my tongue. It wasn't a pleasant experience, but thankfully it only lasted a couple of weeks before improving and eventually returning to normal (for now).
- hwillis 6y ago
  For me, I could not tell the difference between coffee and water. Energy drinks did not taste at all sweet; they felt slightly syrupy/viscous and I could feel the bubbles on my tongue. I could sense saltiness to some degree, but not in a way I can relate to how I taste things now.
  - jansan 6y ago
    Then this was definitely not caused by congestion. Would be really interesting to know what was going on with your senses at that time.
foldr 6y ago
Pretty much exactly the same thing happened to me. I had a very mild case of suspected Covid-19 (no fever or cough). However, I was mildly fatigued for weeks afterwards, and my sense of smell, though it has returned, is still not at 100%. As you say, the freaky thing about it is that you really lose your sense of smell completely. It's quite different to the experience you have with a cold or a stuffed up nose.
m0xte 6y ago
Same here. Recovered approx 6 weeks ago and coffee only just tastes reasonable again. My eating habits have changed in the recovery time. Probably for the better!
- rightbyte 6y ago
  How bad was the typical symptoms (fever etc) compared to the smell issue?
  - m0xte 6y ago
    Absolutely awful. Temp hit 41 oC regularly over the space of 3-4 days. Couldn't move. In agony and sweating constantly.
waterside81 6y ago
Happy to hear you’re doing better. Any idea how you contracted it?
jryan49 6y ago
Same exact thing happened to me. I had a negative antibody test.
- Tagbert 6y ago
  If you were to take another antibody test, I bet you would test positive. They are proving to be somewhat unreliable.
sparkywolf 6y ago
For a medical reason not related to Covid in any way, I've lived my entire life not being able to smell anything, whatsoever. I'm getting a surgery in two days that should give me a sense of smell. While I'm over the moon excited to be able to smell... I didn't even think about how it would affect taste...
- eganist 6y ago
  The La Croix trend will make sense to you once you do. It won't necessarily appeal to you, however.
- creaghpatr 6y ago
  There's a lot of great smells out there...and some not so great. Good luck!
- phkahler 6y ago
  What surgery? I know someone with no sense of smell and didnt think there was any hope of fixing it.
  - nvr219 6y ago
    Nose replacement surgery
  - sparkywolf 6y ago
    Nasal Polypectomy as well as severe deviated septum
- TrueGeek 6y ago
  My mother has 0% sense of smell. Her cooking skills were... spotty.
  - gnulinux 6y ago
    Just another anecdote: my grandmother lost her sense of smell in her 20s after a car crash. Her cooking skills were pretty ok. She wasn't an amazing cook, but definitely made food better than me and my mom.
michaelcampbell 6y ago
I lost my sense of smell for a couple months for other reasons, and yeah it's awful. Lost a lot of weight because I didn't eat as much, or as often. I've never been a big eater/foodie to begin with but it surprised me how little interest I had in food.
meowface 6y ago
Suspected case here with similar symptoms a few months ago. Eating felt so weird. It's really just sad and bizarre, like your brain is almost reflexively telling you you're eating something inedible because you're not getting the taste and smell feedback of "this is food". I was so relieved when both senses started gradually coming back.
- brianwawok 6y ago
  Might be really good for weight loss. Would be real sad when I drink some paint thinner and eat a stale load of bread though.
perf1 6y ago
Zinc deficiency also results in loss of smell. I heard the theory that your immune system consumes your Zinc reserves to fight the Virus.
- hwillis 6y ago
  No, that doesn't track. Smell impairment (not even loss) only comes with very severe zinc deficiency- which is not happening over a single day. I lost my sense of smell over roughly 8 hours. There are also tons of other symptoms of zinc poisoning that would be very obvious. It doesn't make sense that it would do smell, but not sight or hair loss. People have been trying to tie covid to zinc since the beginning, IMO mostly out of desperation. Zinc oral sprays were pulled by the FDA for causing permanent total loss of smell- by coating the inside of your nose with zinc. People just wanted it to be related.

bryanrasmussen 6y ago

This is actually why I just posted this https://gizmodo.com/this-lickable-screen-can-recreate-almost-any-taste-or-f-1843609903 https://gizmodo.com/this-lickable-screen-can-recreate-almost... "This Lickable Screen Can Recreate Almost Any Taste or Flavor Without Eating Food" I wonder if the process outlined could be used in therapy to bring back taste.

gambiting 6y ago

The thing that people don't realise with virus infections is that it can mess you up for a long time, even if it's not lethal. I've had a human parvovirus B19 infection last year(apparently it's incredibly rare in adults, but hey ho), and yeah, I felt like absolute shit for about 2 months, really high fevers, no appetite, basically like a very bad flu that lasted nearly 2 months, but then once it finally went away, I started having massive issues with my joins, widespread inflammation of knees, elbows, shoulders, fingers - like a bad case of arthritis. Was told by rheumatologists that it's a relatively common thing to happen after virus infections, since your own immune system was in high gear after the virus, so now it attacks your own joints instead. Unfortunately it doesn't really have a cure as such, I was given a few steroid injections that settled it down for now but it's still not 100% fine. Or I can go on a long term(1-2 years at least) treatment with methotrexate, but that has a whole lot of its own side effects as well so I'm not very keen. So yeah, virus infections SUCK, even if they don't kill you.

neuronic 6y ago
Epstein-Barr virus (mono) fucked me up for weeks and I have never been the same since then. Jumpstarted hypothyroidism as well which is now autoimmune/Hashimoto's. Virus infections can really really mess you up.
- loufe 6y ago
  I also had a very rough ride from mono. I was in bed for over a month and came out some very unpleasant side effects. I developed a tic disorder (suspected PANDAS) which has lasted the 6 years since and my immune system was so weak I caught the common cold about once a month for 2 years. Also launched me into depression which took a couple years to climb out of. It is no joke, that's for sure.
ImaCake 6y ago
I had a really bad case of strep-throat a few years back and got a similar auto-immune problem afterwards. Never got a proper diagnosis because I looked okay and put on a show of good spirits when talking. But for two months I couldn't leave the house; if I walked further than the kitchen my ankles and knees would swell so much that I would be moaning on my bed in pain for hours. I felt so lonely and so lost from the world. It took a year before the obvious symptoms really dissapeared (but I could hike again after about 4 months) and I still have trouble maintaining joint and muscle strength in my legs after getting a cold or virus. Now I can appreciate chronic illness and how isolating it is, even if just a little bit. You can have an amazing support network and still fall through the cracks. I am so glad that I still have my health and try not to take it for granted.

amelius 6y ago

Slightly offtopic warning. I temporarily lost my sense of smell when I was on a zinc supplement (lozenges). It turned out this is a known effect of zinc lozenges. Zinc supplements should be swallowed immediately. Stay away from nasal sprays that contain zinc. More information: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Zinc-Health%20Professional/ https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Zinc-Health%20Professional... (search for "anosmia", the medical term for loss of sense of smell)

ImaCake 6y ago

I am congenital for anosmia (that is, I have never had a sense of smell) so I always find discussions about anosmia interesting. As a contribution: the experiences of never having smelt is very different from the experience of loosing it later in life. The former is something that dawns on the person sometime in their youth when they realise they really can't smell farts. The other is a crushing loss of joy from their lives when they lose the wonderful taste of food, fresh flowers, and "new car smell" (whatever that is!). I never lost these things, I love food, and I like looking at pretty flowers. I am jealous that I don't experience smelling, but I do not miss it because I never had it in the first place. As a side note, living with anosmia is mildly inconvienient for most. I am paranoid about food going off, and working with flammable gasses is always a little unnerving. Apparently the rates of depression, dysfunctional relationships, and early death are somewhat higher in my cohort. I personally have little trouble with it, and find my condition a useful conversation starter at social events.

altacc 6y ago
Thanks for the insight. I can appreciate the paranoia about not smelling important cues. I once worked in a bio-lab with somebody with anosmia. One day they accidentally split a very noxious chemical without realising until somebody else walked into the room, hit the extraction system into overdrive and pulled them out of the toxic air.

dt_nl 6y ago

Hi there, dutch male, just under 60, overall good health, healthy way of living. Halfway march I noticed light Covid related stuff like higher temp (for just 1 day), headache (longer period, not every day), no energy (6 weeks) and then a loss of taste and smell (not very suddenly as I recall). After 7 to 8 weeks taste came back lightly (like smelling toiletcleaner and strong things) and now after a recovery to +- 25% of smell and taste, it is again getting less (10%). And all the time a totally free breathing through the nose. I can taste salt and sweet but for Instance no garlic. And one other noticable thing, both sides under the back of my tongue feel like they are a bit irritated, lightly swollen salivary glands (for what it is worth).

random_upvoter 6y ago

I had some flu thing in the beginning of February and I had this weird symptom where anything that contained vinegar (like ketchup) had this terrible acetone-like taste -- I almost brought back the bottle to the store for a refund.

steveeq1 6y ago

"some"

eluusive 6y ago

Okay... so? This is a symptom of many viruses. My sister got Bell's Palsy from the flu a couple months ago and still hasn't recovered. What are the relative rates of these issues with nCoV-19 over Rhinovirus, normal Coronavirus, and Flu A/B? Any neurotropic virus can cause this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anosmia#List_of_causes https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anosmia#List_of_causes Examples of such viruses: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neurotropic_virus#Examples https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neurotropic_virus#Examples Influenza

lykr0n 6y ago

Well, that truly sucks. COVID-19 is going to cause long term problems for this generation. I'm glad I got over it without issue, but I have to wonder what's in store for my future.

adventured 6y ago
I'll be surprised if over time a few million people in the US don't end up with blood clot related complications from having mild cases of Covid. I suspect the healthcare industrial complex will wave their hands at the notion that Covid caused the damage (they do this with anything inconvenient to their interests, like the millions of people damaged by Cipro, a drug they've handed out like candy to millions of people for decades), it'll largely get buried/lost in the outsized cardiovascular & other health problem numbers in the American population.
- lykr0n 6y ago
  I'm not so sure. We're already starting to see people publish studies on how nasty this is an long term issues. This is too big for it to be ignored down the road. Time is all it will take for us to know.
vmception 6y ago
such as prior exposure being the pre-existing condition that everyone else dismisses your life for

macintux 6y ago

So much emphasis is placed on the fatality rate, but there’s a lot of middle ground between asymptomatic and dead.

irq11 6y ago
”So much emphasis is placed on the fatality rate, but there’s a lot of middle ground between asymptomatic and dead.“ ...and this is the same middle ground that exists for every other cold and flu, every single year. Anosmia is a common side effect of a variety of illnesses, and in the vast majority of cases, it resolves on its own. But this fact doesn’t make good headlines
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irq11 6y ago
This is the same middle ground that exists for every other cold and flu, every single year. Anosmia is a common side effect of a variety of illnesses, and in the vast majority of cases, it resolves on its own. But this fact doesn’t make good headlines.
- macintux 6y ago
  Indeed, but there is no shortage of evidence that this disease is more damaging than the flu. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-05-12/covid-19-s-health-effects-can-last-long-after-virus-is-gone https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-05-12/covid-19-... > “These data demonstrated that the recovered SARS patients had a poor quality of life 12 years following recovery, and were susceptible to inflammation, tumors, and glucose and lipid metabolic disorders,” researchers wrote.
  - irq11 6y ago
    I wasn’t making a broad comparison to the flu. But if I were, I’d cite the most recent CDC numbers, which put the overall fatality rates somewhere around 3-4x worse than the flu, in the expected case: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/planning-scenarios.html https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/planning-scena... Yes, this virus is worse than the flu. But not nearly to the extent being portrayed by the OP. All illnesses have long-term sequelae. (Also, since you’re right that we have ample data on this virus, it seems an odd choice to cite data for SARS, when discussing Covid-19.)

theonemind 6y ago

Interestingly, not exactly COVID-19 related, people that lose their sense of taste return to eating normally, but people that lose a sense of feel in their mouth never seem to fully recover their appetite. I mean, not to say I want to lose my sense of taste, just that losing feel in your mouth seems probably worse.

williamxd3 6y ago
I lost half of my tongue senses on a wisdom tooth extraction, it came back slowly during 3 month (its almost 100% back now) but it was terrifying the first week, I just kept thinking If I could live with that, a feeling of depression hit hard
SpicyLemonZest 6y ago
Yeah, texture is a surprisingly large part of what people enjoy about food. It's honestly weird that we consider it a separate thing from taste, since you take it into account almost as much as flavor when you cook.
cableshaft 6y ago
My sense of taste has diminished (a couple of years ago), I think because I had a needle full of anesthetic jabbed into my gumline a few too many times and they hit my nerve once. I no longer really taste much of anything in the front half of my tongue. Still can in the back half, though. I've gotten used to it, although it annoys me when I think about it. I'm lucky I haven't lost it completely, that would be a sad day. I think you're right, in that as long as I can feel the food, I could eat alright. Probably would eat a bit healthier, though.

chadcmulligan 6y ago

A friend of mine lost his sense of smell some years ago from the flu

snazz 6y ago
Are there any published statistics on how common that is? I wonder what it inflames or irritates that can't come back after the body recovers from the virus.
- zelphirkalt 6y ago
  That's also what I am wondering about. Could it also have a psychological component? (Not making it any less terrifying.)
  - ImaCake 6y ago
    Not sure why you are being downvoted. Negative placebo effect is real and anosmia (smell blindness) has been making headlines with the 'rona. To answer the original question: "Postviral olfactory disorders usually occur after an upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) associated with a common cold or influenza. With a prevalence between 11 and 40% they are among the common causes of olfactory disorders." From here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16733337/?from_term=anosmia+influenza&from_pos=3 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16733337/?from_term=anosmia+...

marcell 6y ago

Taste is highly related to smell, and smell is related to congestion symptoms that are typical for respiratory diseases. Taste and smell loss happens with cold and flu as well, since they are also respiratory diseases: [1] > The exact mechanism behind post-viral anosmia [smell/taste loss] isn’t yet understood, but it is clear that the various viruses that cause the common cold, including flu, somehow damage and interfere with the olfactory epithelium Let's not get carried away with the Covid fear hysteria. This is just an example of a risk that already existed that was never on society's collective radar. Moreover, it's only been a few weeks or months. It's entirely likely that the taste/smell loss is temporary. [1] https://www.fifthsense.org.uk/post-viral-olfactory-loss/ https://www.fifthsense.org.uk/post-viral-olfactory-loss/

HarryHirsch 6y ago
Let's not get carried away with the Covid fear hysteria You know that the olfactory nerve is a cranial nerve, it's actually part of the brain. Anything neurotropic should be cause for extreme caution.
- SpicyLemonZest 6y ago
  The world is already being extremely cautious about the coronavirus, and I'm sure it will continue to do so.
  - claudeganon 6y ago
    Citation needed for the US. The two sides seem to be “workers and grandma need to die for the economy” and “workers and grandma need to die for the economy, in phases, as described by this PowerPoint.”
    - mmmeff 6y ago
      Let's leave the political jabs out of HN and keep this civil. Realistically, the US isn't trying to kill their grandmas.

bashinator 6y ago

I lost my sense of taste a few years ago, from a combination of extreme stress and the flu. Lasted about a week, and it was utterly terrifying. I first noticed it when I tried to eat, iirc scrambled eggs, and couldn't stop gagging on the texture. Once I figured out what was going on, it took a couple days to figure out what I could eat without retching. I ended up being entirely vegetarian - meat without taste is a horrible experience, and only ate milk and eggs as ingredients. Overall, 0/10, do not recommend unless you have to go vegan but don't have any willpower. When my sense of taste gradually returned, I practically cried I was so relieved.

jmnicolas 6y ago
FWIW critical lack of zinc is associated with loss of smell and taste. Apparently the body consumes a lot of zinc to fight viruses. You might benefit of supplementing for while.
bmikaili 6y ago
Imagine thinking only animal products have taste. Try that steak without any sauce or seasoning.
- humanrebar 6y ago
  That's an odd standard. I don't like carrots without salt either.
- bashinator 6y ago
  I love steak with no seasoning. And I brought up the animal products because they were the most extreme example, but I also couldn't eat raw lettuce (tasted like cardboard). As a salad lover, this fucked me up almost as badly as the meat. I was pretty much doing peanuts, noodles, tofu, and meal supplement shakes.
Angostura 6y ago
I lost my sense of smell for about 6 months following a bad cold/ something flu-y. Initially I didn;t really notice - I wasn't enjoying food much, but it was when I was painting a room and realised I couldn't smell paint that I really noticed. I remember when it came back. Someone made me a cup of tea (I'm British) and I rhapsodised for about 5 minutes about what an excellent cup of tea it was. Up until then, I couldn't really detect any difference between tea and coffee.

jdkee 6y ago

There is a lot of evidence for this occurring during the 1918 influenza pandemic. See https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/jul/22/pale-rider-laura-spinney-review https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/jul/22/pale-rider-lau...

ImaCake 6y ago
Flu and common colds are known to cause anosmia. I guess the scale of it is different when its something novel.

neonate 6y ago

https://archive.md/OaNuq https://archive.md/OaNuq

apanoia 6y ago
Thanks!!

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H8crilA 6y ago

Losing your sense of smell, while painful, is nothing compared to what other things can happen to the surviors. 50% of ICU patients have clotting problems. In fact it's so common that all covid patients are now put on anti-clotting medication, immediately, no questions asked. Would you mind losing your leg (getting that clot stuck in lower limbs)? Or getting a stroke (getting that clot in your brain), and losing a significant part of brain capacity, such as the ability to speak? Then, 30% have serious kidney problems and require nephrologist care or outright dialysis [1]. And we're still learning. Never forget the unknown unknowns. It's ridiculous to quote some survival statistic and call it a covid-barbecue. [1] https://www.wsj.com/articles/coronavirus-hijacks-the-body-from-head-to-toe-perplexing-doctors-11588864248 https://www.wsj.com/articles/coronavirus-hijacks-the-body-fr...

C1sc0cat 6y ago
From uk experience if you go into ICU or any high risk ward they tend to put you in the inflatable leg splints. Serous kidney problems are no joke and you might well end up with chronic kidney failure - so you will be on the pathway to dialysis and transplant in the future.
arcticbull 6y ago
50% of ICU patients isn't even close to 50% of infected though, so it's important to keep that in mind.
- abiogenesis 6y ago
  Did 50% of infected lose their sense of smell or taste?
  - PeterisP 6y ago
    Not 50%, but a significant portion - IIRC the South Korea studies had 30% prevalence of smell loss for infected with mild symptoms; but it generally was temporary, unlike the cases described in this article.
  - 6y ago

freecodyx 6y ago

I remeber I was always happy when I lose my sense of taste and smell because of flu, this will help eat more, I don't eat a lot, and my options are limited because of high sense of smell and taste,

samatman 6y ago
That... doesn't sound typical of influenza, to put it mildly. Blunted senses are the last thing on my mind with persistent nausea, dizziness, sweating buckets, and having to lean on the wall on the way to the kitchen.

perl4ever 6y ago

I know someone who is in the age range most vulnerable to covid-19 who always says she has no sense of smell, but my impression is it's a long-standing thing, possibly related to allergies or something.

jshaqaw 6y ago

I lost my sense of smell for about a mo th which was my primary Covid symptom. I think I am now back at least 75% after two months (I was in the early wave of NYC).

williesleg 6y ago

I guess it's good for all those Chinese eating shit and dead bugs. Virus operating as designed.

NoPicklez 6y ago

This is what worries me most about being a mid 20's person during the pandemic. I know its unlikely I'd die if I contracted but if it left me with significant long term health problems, that's what keeps me inside.

Animats 6y ago

We may be entering a new phase of this disease soon. Treatments are coming along. Stanford is testing interferon-lambda.[1] Known drug, used for treating hepatitis. This has to be given early, within 2 days of testing positive for the virus. A group in the UK is testing interferon-beta. Eli Lily is testing an engineered antibody.[2] This is new technology, an antibody specifically targeted to this virus. Testing in humans just started; no results yet. Lily is putting this into production in advance of testing, to get the production scaleup problems out of the way, in hope it works. There are other drugs in development; these are all in human testing now. Early stage treatment options change things. Advice will change from "stay home until it gets serious" to "get tested and treated as soon as there's any suspicion." Instead of overloaded ICUs, front-line medical care gets overloaded. It really starts to matter than the US doesn't have enough testing capacity. [1] https://med.stanford.edu/id/covid19/lambda.html https://med.stanford.edu/id/covid19/lambda.html [2] https://www.biopharmadive.com/news/eli-lilly-abcellera-coronavirus-antibody-drug-first-trial/578980/ https://www.biopharmadive.com/news/eli-lilly-abcellera-coron...

halotrope 6y ago

For older people loss of smell seems to indicate a higher probability to die within 5 years. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4182669/#!po=0.877193 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4182669/#!po=0....

hinkley 6y ago
Food poisoning will get ya. That’s why we have this chemistry lab in our heads, taking up a bunch of useful space in the center.
throwaway888abc 6y ago
Wow, was not aware something like this exists. Informative. Thanks for your comment

misja111 6y ago

My mother (73) had Corona in March. She had a throat ache, headache and loss of sense of smell and taste. The symptoms passed after a couple of days but her sense of smell did not come back. Even today, almost 3 months later, it has still not fully recovered.