Would you test for lack of smell due to blocked nose?

[cherrytreeblossom]

I have a run of the mill head cold.

No temperature or cough.

Very bunged up and therefore cant smell anything.

I read that coronavirus loss of smell is quite different to that.

I work in a school so want to be responsible but also dont want my whole households work and life to grind to a halt unnecessarily.

Is it irresponsible to think, i cant smell because Im full of snot?

Nope

Feel a bit worse today

Bad headache, even more tired, still no smell

I've done a home test

Good luck!
I pulled my head out of the sand ( where I put it as another period of isolation is going to wipe us out financially) tested, and the positive result came back today. Only symptom is lack of taste and smell.

@cherrytreeblossom I'm so sorry you're feeling so rough. If this is COVID then I think you can reasonably expect to feel pretty damn rough for another 4 days, and very convalescent for a week or two after that. Mild cases of COVID range from very mild indeed to not very mild at all (although of course swerving pneumonia is a huge plus).

Please do rest. Rest like you've never rested before (quite difficult if you're used to being active and /or have a family). Treat the headache, drink plenty, eat at least a little regularly even if not hungry. Watch your breathing. If that's ok it should just be a matter of time.

Best wishes

I have tested positive

That is useful to know cherrytreeblossom.
I hope you feel better soon.

Here's hoping it's mild for you OP.

I work in a school, started with a 'cold' - bit sniffly, runny nose. That cleared up in a day or 2 then 2 days after that - BAM! Complete loss of taste and smell. Positive. Started to get taste and smell back about 7 days later. That was over a week ago now and while both have returned, and I can enjoy food again, it's still not 100% back all the time.

Hope you feel better soon op

Hope you're feeling better soon

Told you. Bet @Rowgtfc72 was also positive! Often you can and do have cold like symptoms alongside Covid. If in doubt stay in and test!

Useful to know..I've got a cold and am watching out for changes to smell / taste..dd said yesterday a few things tasted different. Her glands are swollen. No temperature. Argh. Dh is busy nhs doctor.

Get well soon cherry.

This is really useful to know. I was bunged up all last week and had severely reduced smell and taste (like, couldn't smell vicks), but was still catching the edge of smells occasionally. I decided not to test.

I did test when the inevitable cough showed up (I have cough variant asthma).

I tested negative.

Wishing you a mild illness and speedy recovery OP.

And just to add, a work colleague was sent home and told to test and not come back until a negative as he was sniffing. There is currently hardly any community transmission, daily numbers are mostly returned travellers in quarantine. I think this attitude is why.

We have the complete opposite attitude in the UK to illnesses in general 😬.

@cherrytreeblossom How are you?

Was just coming on after reading the op to say I had a cold on Monday, weird headcold/stuffy feeling. Lost sense of smell for 6 hours on weds. Tested positive today.

I think the big flaw in the system is that we are being told that if you have x symptom but you don't think it's COVID for x,y,z reason then don't test. That's not the guidance. Yes, it's a pain in the ass but honestly, you would never know I had COVID right now and I would have been in work all week (and I work in a school)

Please test if you have symptoms, any of the symptoms, even if you don't think it's COVID. I have the tiniest throat clearing tickle today in my throat, absolutely not a 'continuous cough', I've had no temperature, and if I hadn't sprayed my best perfume on weds and not been able to smell it I'd probably not have noticed I had no sense of smell, plus it didn't go entirely anyway.

How are you doing @cherrytreeblossom? Hope you feel ok

Hi girls

I'm not great

I'm finding it so hard to get over despite it starting out so mild

The initial symptoms have all gone now although have no smell still

I'm so exhausted and get very breathless from doing very little