Has anyone here experience of covid presenting as weird smell?

[BlueFlyAway]

I'm not sick and I don't feel ill. I am following the guidelines and my close contacts are restricted to my home, work and partner. My family are very good and we are living a restricted life. My work is OK. My partner is furloughed and he gets bored easily. He's always on the go. He doesn't rest or take it easy, at all. He's always on the go.

I reckon if I get covid, it will probably come from him or work.

There's no one in my life a positive. Likelihood of me being a covid positive would be low although I know of a family who became infected with the virus over Christmas and they all got infected from an individual who never knew they had it until later on about a week or two. Then a whole group became ill around about the same time as each other.

Anyways, lately I am experiencing smelling smoke. As in cigarette smoke. Its happening a few times over the past few days. Where I get a bang of cigarette smoke. Thing is, I don't smoke. It's been years since I smoked. My family gave up smoking too and it's been a few years since since we smoked. There's no on else in my circle smoking. I'm not going out into public much and so I'm not passing people standing at doorways.
I'm not experiencing a loss of taste or smell. It's just a cigarette smoke smell that comes my way several times a day. It's so weird.

Then yesterday my partner got a pain in his tooth in a wisdom tooth. I was chatting to a lady who became ill back in November with the virus and she said she experienced the worst wisdom tooth pain.

Now I'm paranoid if this is covid.

1. the weird smell I am experiencing
2. partners wisdom tooth pain

Weird smell yes. I had this, but not a smoke smell. However I know two entirely unrelated people who experienced exactly what you describe. All 3 definitely covid related.

I had the phantom smoke smell for a few days, then a total loss of smell followed by a positive test. Sense of smell returned after about 10 days but 6 weeks on I still get phantoms whiffs of smoke (also a non smoker in a smoke free house). It’s very strange!

I should add, none of us were particularly ill with it. A few days of feeling very grotty then much better. We were very fortunate I know but just wanted to reassure you that heaps of people have covid fairly mildly.

Thanks for the replies.

I haven't a clue what to do. I don't feel ill and I don't have any other symptoms that would warrant isolation and testing. A weird smell isn't on the list of covid symptoms.

I'm in Ireland and the testing happens being referred by the GP so I won't be entertained looking for a test.

It will be a case of waiting to see if my partner gets ill.

Have you spoken to a GP? I would want to consult a doctor and let them make the call on whether to test or not. A burning smell (burning toast is the one I’m aware of) can be a symptom of neurological issues so I don’t think you should ignore it covid or not.

Change in taste or smell is one of the main symptoms, you should get tested.

Thanks for the replies. Come to think of it, I experienced some other burn smells too. Like I thought my mother burnt toast at the weekend. She didn't. There was another burn smell at work like a burnt coffee or pizza, I can't remember which one.

The smell isn't all the time. It comes and goes and it's light and quick in nature.

My DH had a cigarette smoke smell and then lost his sense of smell and taste. For me it was like the smell of the inside of a hot oven when you’ve been cooking something like oven chips.

Yes, I smell smoke regularly but have never had a positive test. Certainly been something I have had on and off since the summer. I don't believe I've had covid although I have plenty of long-covid symptoms so who knows? Recently did an antibody test by invitation through the post and it was negative.

Yes it was like an acrid chemical-like smell for me? Also, for one day only, my sense of taste altered so that anything sharp (e.g. salt & vinegar crisps, olives, cranberry sauce) tasted like nail varnish remover! All other foods tasted fine. So weird.

For those who experienced this

Was your your change in smell constant?

My experience in burning smells, is quick and fleeting. They come and go. A few times a day. I think it might depends on some body movements. Something like vertigo and then I get a bang of smell.

You need to get a test.

My husband had Covid diagnosed 2 weeks ago. On day 8 he noticed a complete loss of smell but within a couple of days he'd just get occasional smells here and there so yes, it can be erratic. Get tested please OP.

Come to think of something else.

I experienced a headache last week. It was the location of the headache that caught me off guard. It was at the back of my head, bottom of my head/top of neck location. I thought nothing of it because I thought it was the way I slept with my pillows. Also I was trying out a new hair style so I thought it was connected to that. Another night I got a very itchy ear and I used a cotton bud and what came out didn't look like ear wax. It looked like some blood.

I got first dose of vaccine a few weeks ago. Would it be connected to that? Or would it be bad timing and something else.

The vaccine slip I got, says to report any symptoms after vaccination. I don't know of I should report these.

This appears to be a very common after effect of covid, parosmia. My teenage son is currently suffering with it, several months after having a mild case of covid.

Its really horrible and unfortunately there is not a lot you can do, but there are support groups out there on Facebook etc. I'm hoping youth is on his side and the olfactory nerves will regenerate.

If the vaccine was a few weeks ago there will be no way to tell if these sort of vague symptoms are connected. You are experiencing a change in your normal smell even if it comes and goes. You need to have a covid test.

I've smelt odd patches of cigarette smoke for years! When nobody smokes etc. Are you sure you didn't smell it before ever?

I was a smoker. I used to be a smoker. When I was giving up smoking I enjoyed standing in smoking yards to get the smell of cigarette smoke. If I got smells of cigarettes before, it was for good reason.

Yes I could smell burning/smoke a lot. It lasted months and came and went. It's a common symptom.

Is it at all possible you could be pregnant? See here: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/pregnancy/1728998-strong-phantom-smells-in-pregnancy-how-do-you-cope-with-them

And here: academic.oup.com/chemse/article/29/5/391/368321

Definitely not pregnant. Due to social distancing and me and the partner not living together. Unless if its an immaculate conception. In fact there's more chances of me having covid than there is of a pregnancy and I've been trying my best to avoid a covid infection.

😂

I don't feel ill and I don't have any other symptoms that would warrant isolation and testing. A weird smell isn't on the list of covid symptoms

Altered sense of smell is one of the 3 main symptoms in the UK

Altered sense of smell is also one of the main symptoms listed in Ireland. I don't understand why you think you don't have symptoms to test for.

One of our local GPs said he had burning smell intermittently when recovering from Covid loss of smell.
I had possible Covid earlier in the year which was followed by 3 months of loss of smell, as it returned I would be woken by a strong burning smell, very much like burning toast but it would disappear rapidly. It was really weird. Smell is now back to normal 12mnths on. The family are happy that I don’t cremate all our food.