When did your taste and smell return?

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I had a positive lateral flow test and subsequent positive PCR last Saturday. I have to test twice a week for work anyway but felt really tired, achy and run down so suspected something might be up. The following day, I lost my senses of taste and smell. None of typical fever or cough so I’m unsure which variant I have. I’m feeling fine now, thankfully.
A week later, I can smell some things - stronger scents mainly - but can’t taste anything. Well, I say that but I’m having a Bailey’s (it’s Christmas!) and think I can taste the alcohol but not the actual taste.
I adore the festive period, mainly for the food involved so tell me all is not lost and I can enjoy a cheeseboard soon!
How long did your senses of taste and smell take to come back?

Mine took 6 months.

After Covid in August I since can only smell pleasant smells. I can't smell unpleasant smells, unless really close to the source (I have pet cats and can't tell when they've 'been', when I could before!) So not sure that it'll ever come back the way it was. Still, I suppose it's good it's that way around! I think it was a few weeks or a month or 2 when I could smell nice smls again.

Mine seemed to come back after a week, but for a few weeks things were often weird tasting and still not quite right at 2 months on

For me it was only really bad for about a week. However, five weeks on, things don't yet smell or taste quite right.

Pressed too soon..

It was the most bizarre experience. I ate with my eyes, and could only distinguish the food I was eating by texture. Couldn't be bothered to eat much initially, so pointless, but then I actually became hungry and started to eat normally. My mind tricked me into thinking my taste was back..very odd indeed!

Lost on day 5 back on day 10

@Trinacham

After Covid in August I since can only smell pleasant smells. I can't smell unpleasant smells, unless really close to the source (I have pet cats and can't tell when they've 'been', when I could before!) So not sure that it'll ever come back the way it was. Still, I suppose it's good it's that way around! I think it was a few weeks or a month or 2 when I could smell nice smls again.

I have exactly the same! I had Covid at Christmas last year and it took months for my smell to come back. I can't smell things as strongly as I used to, and a lot of bad smells I can't smell at all.

I can't smell when someone pumps or if someone has been to the toilet for a number 2 (blessing in my house!), I hadn't heard of anyone else who experienced the same thing!

Got to say I quite miss being able to smell ALL things as I used to though, I really hope it's not like this forever.

Tested positive New Years Day 21, never lost sense of taste or smell as such but certain things still make me gag one year on (coffee, garlic, things I used to love) 😕

I lost my taste and smell about 3 weeks ago. I could kind of sense if foods were salty, sweet, sour etc but absolutely no smell. My taste started to come back about 9 days later and my smell a few days after that. Neither sense is back to full function yet but it's gradually inproving daily.

Covid in sept, lost my sense of smell which came backs. Few weeks later. Although I get phantom smells for weeks on end, all I can smell at times is burnt toast and petrol fumes

Two months for me

Not predictable and it’s totally random for different ppl
Mine was gone for 5 days and no phantom smells either

I had it last month , after about a week I could taste most things and now certain things I can smell and some I can't .

My sense of smell if still 'off', some 20 months on. Nothing terrible, just a very distinctive 'covid smell / taste', especially when tired / run down.

I tested positive at the beginning of the month and by day 4 I completely lost all sense of smell and taste for 7 days before i noticed a change. It's now been 2 weeks since then and my sense of smell is still off. I can smell some things but other things smell strange or of nothing. My taste has improved a lot but not 100% and some things I liked before taste strange and not like they should. Hope you are able to taste all those lovely goodies by Christmas.

Mine took a few weeks, but I've been left with Parosmia.

Luckily for me mine is mainly smells, things smell terrible, like rubbish, old milk, sewage, gas, or just rotten. It can be really random. But I've got a cold at the moment so it's really really bad. I struggle with eating because everything smells bad right now.

Taste for me isn't as bad but occasionally the things I'm eating taste like mould or like rubbish. Sometimes my taste just disappears completely which is interesting.

My Parosmia is really mild compared to other people who have developed it post COVID. But it's bad enough.

Forgot to add, I contracted COVID in October 2020. I've had Parosmia ever since.

Taste began to come back slowly after about 10 days, smell a few days later. Both not what they were a month on, can only really taste and smell strong things

Got positive result last Christmas morning…no symptoms until Boxing Day when I couldn’t taste marmite toast ! Took about a week before I got glimmers of taste and smell back .
Even now I have a day when I cannot differentiate between tea/coffee. Can honestly say that I definitely cannot think as clearly..brain a bit foggy!

Oh wow a real mixed bag then! I’m sorry to hear so many of you are still not right so far down the line.