How long can loss of taste and smell last?

[IHS]

I'm into my second recovery week and still can't taste or smell things unless they're very strong and I'm right up close. Things I can smell seem strange and 'off'. My mouth feels funny - dry, sticky, slightly tingly and just plain unpleasant.

How long has everyone else had these sensations? It's most unnerving being unable to taste. Dare I ask if it can be permanent or long term?

Guessing you have Covid? My loss of smell lasted nearly 3 months. I know someone else who lost it for 9 months. Loss of smell obvs affects taste. There's an exercise you can do when you've recovered to try to get sense of smell back sooner. Every day, line up some strong-smelling things that you are very familiar with, and sniff them one by one, while trying to remember what they smell like. Garlic, lavender oil, your favorite perfume etc. It's supposed to kick-start your brain to recognise the smells, I have no idea what the mechanism is but it seems to work. Def worth a try.

Few weeks for me. A friend for almost a year.

I didn't loose taste or smell
But loads of food tasted very very salty and still does from first time l had Covid ( pre vaccinations) and each time I've had it .. 5 times altogether and food added to the list.
Started with Melon .. then pineapple then apples ( and l love fruit.. keep trying it but tastes like pure salt..) last week l tried mango.. yuk. Salty again..
Also loads of food smells like peanut butter. ( l don't like peanut butter).. but my eldest Grandson was 16 at the time had covid first time with me and first thing he could taste after he lost his taste altogether was peanut butter .
Took a year and bad ARFID for his taste to come back.
He reverted to being a toddler again .. his mum had to bath him.. dress him.. feed him. Was horrendous.. even now he still gets ARFID, and says food tastes like toilet cleaner smells.
I will keep trying the foods that taste like eating pure salt.. l know a few people this happened to.

I'm assuming it was covid due to symptoms and loss of smell/taste. It's just so weird. I need to lose weight so perhaps it'll put me off my food.

Mine disappeared completely for 3 weeks, then a further 3 weeks was things tasting really weird - toothpaste was like soap and I couldn't drink wine at all

No issues since though

It can be permanent. I have a friend who lost it and it never came back. If you haven't yet started smell therapy, start now.

First time I had it I lost half a stone. It wasn't that food didn't taste of anything (didn't lose my taste/smell until round number 6) but I didn't have the energy to chew.