Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Covid

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Original poster

A question for those who have had covid

40 replies

whereisthejoy · 11/10/2020 21:36

If you lost your sense of smell and/or taste, did it come back? How long did it take? Is it back to normal?

I'm almost two weeks since getting the virus and a week since symptoms and have no sense of smell. Feeling extremely low about this and want to know if there's hope it will return?

OP posts:
coffeewithmilk · 11/10/2020 21:39

A girl I work with had covid in March and she still has no smell. Her taste came back after a few weeks but no smell yet

Elizabethxx · 11/10/2020 21:40

@whereisthejoy

If you lost your sense of smell and/or taste, did it come back? How long did it take? Is it back to normal?

I'm almost two weeks since getting the virus and a week since symptoms and have no sense of smell. Feeling extremely low about this and want to know if there's hope it will return?

I have had my positive result back today. Also no smell or taste and i am only the third day in Sad I hope this isn't something long term!
Northernsoullover · 11/10/2020 21:42

My GP said hers took six months. My friend about 3 months.

greensnail · 11/10/2020 21:54

I can taste fine now but smell is not back to normal since March. I can smell some things now, but a lot I still can't smell at all, and then other things all smell of the same strange smell now.

PeaceAndHarmoneeee · 11/10/2020 21:55

I had Covid in March, sense of smell not yet recovered. Everything smells really weird.

Original poster
whereisthejoy · 11/10/2020 22:10

How do you deal with it? I know there's worse symptoms of course x

OP posts:
Porcupineinwaiting · 11/10/2020 22:14

Friend's husband had it in March. A little has come back but nothing like normal. Another friend got hers back within a couple of weeks so it does vary.

damselindedress · 12/10/2020 08:47

Lost sense of smell completely in April when had the virus. Over the past couple of months I have started to be able to smell some things again although there are many things I still cant. For a few weeks when the sense of smell started to return it really impacted taste and made most things taste really unpleasant, so fruit tasted like soap for example. This issue has settled down now but things still don't taste like they used to.

Original poster
whereisthejoy · 13/10/2020 07:12

@damselindedress can you smell perfumes for example? I'm so worried about this symptom in particular given how connected memory and smell are. It would also be good to know if meat etc is fresh! Taken to freezing everything on day of purchase to be safe.

I like to panic! Blush

OP posts:
Realitea · 13/10/2020 07:33

Can I ask whether the sense of smell or taste being lost is due to congestion? I asked a doctor this last night as I can’t smell or taste and have lung pain but I’m sure it’s more flu than covid
Still no results so I don’t know.

damselindedress · 13/10/2020 07:52

@whereisthejoy I know what you mean about smell and memory. I can't really smell perfume unfortunately, although I do get subtle hints of something it doesn't smell nice like before. I also can't smell if things like meat and dairy are fresh so have to go by use by dates or get OH to check. It's been nearly 7 months now and things are slowly coming back so am hoping this will continue.

FrancesHaHa · 13/10/2020 07:56

Mine came back in about 2weeks.

UCL are doing some research on this at the moment. They have one group whose taste and smell has returned and one group whose haven't. Results should be interesting

Thatsnotsnowy · 13/10/2020 08:07

I had the virus at the end of April. It took until July to come back and even then it came back all mixed up. I could taste and smell rotting meat most of the time. Poo still smells almost coconuty.. it’s very miserable but is starting to get better.

marriednotdead · 13/10/2020 08:14

I am certain I had it in March- can’t prove it because tests not available at the time. Taste went funny first but both gone completely for about 10 days.
My adult DCs caught it (from me) and had similar timescales.
A colleague was ill at the same time I was but her loss of smell and taste lasted longer than mine. Compared notes and did speculate whether it was down to the fact that she smoked. As time has passed, that doesn’t seem to be reported as a factor.

sunshinesupermum · 13/10/2020 08:20

DP lost both senses. He was ill in March and things still taste strange or of nothing at all eg meat Nothing to do with congestion and he doesn't smoke. Seeing a neurologist on Friday. Covid really is hell on earth as he also still has dreadful fatigue, dizziness, headache, difficulty in breathing...

Realitea · 13/10/2020 08:22

I hope the neurologist can be of some help, it sounds absolutely awful

MrsJackRackham · 13/10/2020 08:23

I tested positive I end of September, slight smells came back after a week, perfume was one of the first although very faint. I'm now 2 weeks after diagnosis and I can smell and taste somethings but still a bit 'off'. A lot of things are very salty and too spicy when they weren't before and some smells are still not there, I can't smell tuna or whisky for example. I'm just hoping things are being 'reset' and over time will get back to normal. It's really getting me down as I'm a keen cook and being unable to taste what I'm making is very frustrating.

Recycledblonde · 13/10/2020 08:26

I tested positive at the beginning of May, reduction, not total loss of smell and taste was my only symptom and that only happened about 2 weeks after I tested positive. It now comes and goes, I quite often have an unusual taste in my mouth and my sense of smell is not as good and things sometimes smell different but it’s not all the time.

canigooutyet · 13/10/2020 08:32

I had CV back in March and my tastebuds and smell are still messed up, same with a friend. I smoke she doesn't we are both autoimmune.

Took me several weeks to get rid of the main symptoms. I was deemed "safe" when I managed to go 10 days without temperature. Its a bastard of a virus and symptoms would come and go after a few weeks.

Like any virus recovery varies

RubaiyatOfAnyone · 13/10/2020 08:40

@Realitea i haven’t had Covid so am no expert, but my understanding from other threads is that smell/taste goes without any congestion - that’s what differentiates it from a cold/flu.

Porcupineinwaiting · 13/10/2020 08:43

Yes, not because of congestion. My friend said it felt like her sinuses had been scoured out.

Original poster
whereisthejoy · 13/10/2020 08:45

Thanks @damselindedress and glad to hear things are improving for you Smile both DH and I have lost smell so am worried about not smelling if things are fresh, if there is a funny smell in the house we wouldn't know, etc. What a shitty long term symptom that is.

Just praying for the day it comes back. All other symptoms were very mild Sad

OP posts:
Original poster
whereisthejoy · 13/10/2020 08:46

@Thatsnotsnowy by getting better do you mean things are starting to smell as they should again?

OP posts:
Original poster
whereisthejoy · 13/10/2020 08:49

@Porcupineinwaiting yes that's what me and DH say how it feels.

OP posts:
Thatsnotsnowy · 13/10/2020 09:53

Yes, the rotting meat smell has gone, I also had a horrid taste in my mouth, that’s gone.
It’s been difficult as smell and taste gives us so much pleasure doesn’t it. I hope it come back quickly for you.
DH and I both joked that we’d be doomed if there had been a gas leak!
My symptoms generally came and went in cycles in the months that followed. Feeling a lot better now finally.
Get well soon! X

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.

Join Mumsnet Log In

This thread is closed and is no longer accepting replies. Click here to start a new thread.