I had covid, again, several weeks ago. I figured it was just another round of summertime congestion, likely caused from bouncing between AC and heat. The dramatic fluctuating temperatures don’t help either. Then one morning… I couldn’t smell anything. This new symptom appeared after I had been sick for almost a week. Strangely enough, my taste remained mostly in tact. It was slightly impacted, but I was also super congested so figured that was the underlying reason.
I felt off and weird without my sense of smell, as though I was moving through a world suddenly void of color. Everything felt like an outline. My daily “smellscape” gone. Vanished. The ritualistic smells of toothpaste, coffee, bread toasting, morning dew, and even my own human body funk, all missing. The discovery of my new scentless state felt unsettling. I misted a room spray and felt puzzled that I couldn’t smell it. First shock and then panicked registered as I searched for something strongly scented. Grabbing mouthwash, I inhaled deeply, expecting my nose hairs to feel singed from the medicated, minty vapors. I registered only a faint shimmer of something different in the air, but no real distinction.
Next stop, the kitchen. I desperately opened coffee, cinnamon, cardamom, and crushed fresh basil leaves. Instead of the sensory stimulation I normally feel, everything fell flat. Again, I could feel, more than smell, a slight disturbance in the air, but no real distinctions.
For context, I’ve always been a bit of a super sniffer. Though at times I’ve cursed this secret super power, mostly when I’m somewhere surround by stink, I’m grateful to have a great sense of smell. I rely on it for many things. My nose helps me fine tune cooking without even tasting or to alert me when food is spoiled. I’ve even used my sniffer to guide me towards love, or steer me away when the olfactory chemistry felt off. Not having my sense of smell would be akin to abruptly losing an old friend, one whom I’d relied on my whole life! Even worse would be regaining my sense of smell miswired. I read this happened to some people after covid where everything smelled like garbage or feces.
Fortunately, my sense of smell came back a few days later. Once again I reveled in the joy of moving through my day in a colored “smellscape.”
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