'That did this to me and not to my friend next door?' Recent findings on COVID-19's effect on smell 'What is that virus that did this?' she said.

Tom ran a fever of 104 degrees for two days, but, like most of their friends, he recovered just fine. She realizes that there are worse problems to have and that people have more troublesome lingering effects of infection.īut that's one of the things Milne finds most baffling and concerning about COVID-19.

'So there's some danger involved,' she said.Ībout six months ago, after losing the family's beloved 13-year-old chocolate Labrador retriever, Abby, and breaking her foot, Milne acknowledges 'sitting here feeling really good and sorry for myself.' And her favorite foods no longer made her feel better: 'That is missing − the mental reward you get using food.' She has burned a few things ‒ not noticing until Tom asked if she was intentionally burning down the kitchen. Milne, a volunteer in a Mass General Brigham patient study of COVID-19-related smell and taste loss, can no longer taste the wine (though she can still identify cheap vintages from the mouth feel) and she needs her husband to tell her if what they've made is any good. She loves to cook with her husband, Tom, and share a glass of wine while they do. It has been unclear why many people, like Milne, endure sensory loss longer.Ī new study based on a 2021 national survey found more than 6 million people reported sensory loss as of that year, and a quarter reported long-term deficits.įor Milne, 59, a software marketing professional in Pelham, New Hampshire, the loss has been depressing and disorienting. Although variants of omicron seem to have less effect on smell, about 15% of those infected endure at least a temporary loss. Loss of smell was one of the defining characteristics of COVID-19 when it first spread in 2020 about 80% of those infected reported at least short-term loss. But while her infection resolved almost a year ago, her smell and taste have not returned. By the second day of her COVID-19 infection, Lisa Milne was so congested she couldn't taste or smell anything.Ī week later, when an antiviral and her immune system had worked their magic, she was almost back to normal.

How can u get your taste buds back