Covid, loss of smell. Any positive stories about it coming back?

[IvorCutler]

I’m 4 days in to my first ever bout of Covid. Yesterday my sense of smell went completely. I keep spraying perfume and holding things under my nose but nothing is happening. My taste is odd too but I can differentiate between sweet/salty/spicy.

I suffer with anxiety and I’m really concerned about it not coming back… I know millions of people have been through the same and I’m probably being unnecessarily dramatic about it.

If you lost your sense of smell during Covid how long did it take to return?

Until Covid I had an amazing sense of smell, could identify gas leaks long before others and also was hyper sensitive to perfumes and artificial fragrance. Now six months later can smell things if very close up or very powerful but nothing else.
My taste is not right, I'm sure my house stinks of dog because I was the one who made sure it didn't, and I feel not quite right because of it. Hope the op who said within a year is right.

What is the evidence for that?
It isnt something that is recorded anywhere - so who would they know?

Oh and peppers taste like soap and I no longer eat crisps as they just taste greasy with no taste.

I lost my smell and taste on about day 4 and it came back about 3 weeks later.

Had it a few weeks ago, lost smell and taste completely (couldn't smell dog shit or bleach) it came back gradually and was restored after about a week. I hated it and could hardly eat because everything was like card board in my mouth

About 3 or 4 days for me. Totally normal afterwards. Had covid around early April this year for the first time. I know lots of people who had short smell/taste loss and it came back fine. Try not to worry too much.

Mine came back quite quickly, within a week or so. However it is still dulled 19 months on and some things smell different now. One unexpected bonus has been my inability to smell DD’s nappies 🤣

Which bit? The within a year thing is pretty well documented now, from 2020 onwards.

I just haven't heard people talk as much with omicron about a long term loss of smell, that's just anecdotal. Have you heard of many with omicron lose smell at all, for example? Most people don't even mention it now. Omicron is statistically much less likely to affect sense of smell than previous variants.

And peppers do taste vile now!

About two weeks, both times I had it (assuming what I had in March 2020 was Covid).

It's very weird, but try not to worry - most people get it back. I know someone who lost it for a long time pre-vaccinations, but has been doing scent training and is getting huge improvement.

I had Covid in April. It was very minor for me, the main symptom was a runny nose, but I did lose my sense of smell for a few days. I can't say how many days exactly as I didn't realise until I was using nail varnish on day 4 or 5 and suddenly thought "ooh, this nail varnish isn't very smelly... oh, of course!" I couldn't smell it at all, and then I started sniffing everything and realised that I couldn't smell any of it. It was then only 3 or 4 days before I could smell certain things again, starting with strong smelling things like cleaning products and vinegar. For some reason onions, chives etc were the last to come back! But I would say it was back to normal by a week after I first noticed there was a problem. I know someone who lost their sense of smell, and then had a distorted sense of smell, for a lot longer than that after a normal cold (pre Covid)!

PS - my sense of taste was not affected, which surprised me. I thought your sense of taste was about 80% smell but I'm not so sure now.

Try eating a lemon - it’s a really weird sensation- you can’t taste the lemon, but can sense the bitter!

9 months after my positive Covid test still not any taste or smell

Two years and 2 months: sense of smell has not returned fully, but is improving slowly.

I still can't taste loads of savoury things, especially things like rich gravy and sauces, pepper, tomato-based sauces. I can taste sweet and sharp things fine though.

I can smell again. Not sure it’s completely back to how it was but it’s very encouraging. Even if it was the bin I smelled first. I’m having a glass of fizz to celebrate!

I hope everyone else recovers. I can’t believe how long it has been for some of you, it must be utterly shit and I’m sorry 💐

I did, it came back after a few weeks. Couple of months at the most.

My smell and taste went for about 3 weeks.
18 months on and my smell and taste is still altered. But at least I can smell and taste.

Just got my smell back this week after six months. Taste took 3 months .
My hearing is affected too and it's about 25% down but doing another test in 2 months and hoping it will improve.

I had Covid at the beginning of March. My taste and smell are just coming back a bit now.

Mine went quite quickly after I caught covid and took 3 or 4 weeks to come back properly after it had gone. I was quite worried but it was fine for me in the end.

Got my sense of smell/ taste after 10 days but even now 18 months later I sometimes cannot distinguish between tea/ coffee and occasionally can smell a woodsmoke smell…it’s very strange!

Mine was back, but reduced, after about 3 days.
Back to normal by 3 months tops.

I feel the same as you, not dramatic at all, that is how you feel, can't help it.
Anxiety has gone through the roof for me. This is my 8th week of no smell and taste. This has also caused sleeping problems too, not able to sleep.

I know easy to say but stay strong, you're not alone, let's all get through this togetherx

@FindingMeno - glad it returned😊 do you recall how it returned? Smell came back bit by bit each day or taste came back first and then smell took awhile to come back? Thanks

Mine took around 3 weeks to be back properly. I could taste a bit before I could smell and it was the 3 week mark before I could smell ambient smells in the air.