How long does loss of taste/smell last?

[HerRoyalWitchyness]

Just that. I've lost my smell and taste and its bloody miserable. Food isn't appealing, everything is just Bleurgh.
How long am I going to be stuck like this? I miss tasting! (The smell I'm not as bothered by )

mine came back within a week... i feel for you as its totally bloody miserable isnt it!

i, too, would like to know. I had a message from my surgery on Tuesday to say that I tested positive and am trying to gain as much info as possible about life in future.

I’d like to know what people’s experiences are too but guessing it varies a lot.

It is totally different to the loss of taste that often comes with nasal congestion isn’t it. Usually I can get around that by blowing my nose while I’m eating but that doesn’t work with Covid!

@Bunglemom I really hope mine comes back soon!

@EllieLeopard I don't want it to be one of those things that varies because that means I could be stuck like this forever! And I don't wanna be

I’m in the midst of this too.. positive test last thurs, by Sunday I couldn’t smell a thing or taste any flavours, but could tell if i was eating salty or sweet or sour etc. Today is the first day I’ve started to taste a little bit (steak flavour McCoy’s) and I could smell garlic in a jar, which I couldn’t previously. So think it’s slowly returning but it’s been utterly miserable not being able to comfort eat through Covid definitely feels different to normal cold loss of taste tho, blowing nose doesn’t help!

I’m on week 4. I lost my smell completely, my taste dulled. I could taste sweet & salty but not flavours. My smell is now at maybe 30% as of Sunday. My taste is about 80%. Today seems a bit worse again, it’s up & down.

But overall, improving. My friend said hers was 3 months to fully come back. A few other friends still have phantom smells months later such as burning & cigarette smoke smells. I’ve had a constant burning smell for a week, it’s irritating but thankfully for me, not overbearing.

@Kfpe hooray for McCoy's and garlic!

@Bobholll 4 weeks like this sounds like utter hell. I've no phantom smells at all, can't even tell if something is sweet or salty. Everything is just bland.

My taste is starting to return after one week, but am unable to smell anything. I would rather have taste than smell, but hope smell returns as it is weird.

Mine was posted at 3.30pm yesterday, for a late 5.30pm collection, received my positive result, via text, at 1.02pm today. The postal address was far from local, not sure of the mileage though.

Mine came back about a week and a half later.

My loss of smell and taste lasted about a week to ten days in total. Was really weird. the first thing I could taste when it came back was my own mouth, which was odd!

I tested positive two weeks ago today. Only symptom was loss of taste and smell and a drippy nose. Both senses started to come back after around 5 days and two weeks after testing positive I'm at 80% I'd say but it's not as unbearable as it was and I can live with it taking a while to get back to 100% (fingers crossed). I wouldn't Google it, op. It will just stress you out. Hope you feel better soon

Thanks everyone. Hopefully it will come back in a few days, at least a bit anyway!

It's back for me today and I tested positive exactly 2 weeks ago.

It's been six weeks for me and I haven't got either back but it is coming very slowly.

I get an initial whiff of something then it goes - same for taste - I can sort of suss out what I'm eating but not really.

Im used to it now 🤔

4 weeks for me and still can’t smell or taste anything.