Prognosis for restored senses of smell and test?

Mar 24, 2020
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Hello there. It seems that I may be affected by COVID-19. Three days ago I suddenly and inexplicably lost my senses of taste and smell and I have very slight upper respiratory congestion (sniffles). I have also been experiencing moderate fatigue though I do not have a fever nor do I have any lung congestion.

My question is this: Does anyone have any information on how long the loss of smell and taste are likely to persist?


Best to all.
 
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Reactions: JenS82
Nov 11, 2019
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Hey there!

Your symptoms are lining up with a few of the newer ones being reported:

But don't panic! One absolutely critical thing to do is consult with your doctor to make a reliable prognosis. No one here can provide a medical diagnosis, and you should never rely on information you find online or on a forum as definitive guidance for what to do. Speak to your physician about your symptoms first. Reach out to your physician to set up a call or virtual appointment with them, and discuss your symptoms directly. That way they can determine the best course of action for you to take.
 
Mar 27, 2020
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My physician said I likely have the coronavirus. I, too, lost my senses of smell and taste. My physician said that some people never regain their sense of smell or taste after being infected. I am wondering if there is any factual or anecdotal information about people having regained their senses of smell and taste.
 
Mar 28, 2020
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My physician said I likely have the coronavirus. I, too, lost my senses of smell and taste. My physician said that some people never regain their sense of smell or taste after being infected. I am wondering if there is any factual or anecdotal information about people having regained their senses of smell and taste.
How can your physician know people dont ever regain their senses with this virus being as young as it is?

I have tested positive for the virus and only have the loss of taste and smell for symptoms. I really hope your physician isnt right.
 
Mar 27, 2020
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I've been reading as much as I can about the syndrome. Here is a paragraph from Forbes:
"It’s not entirely clear what is causing these symptoms. Some viruses destroy the cells or cell receptors in your nose. Others infect the brain via the olfactory sensory nerves. Most disturbingly, this ability to infect the brain is thought to explain some of the cases of respiratory failure in COVID19 infections."
Apparently, if the cell receptors are destroyed, the good news is that in many cases more cell receptors will grow in place of the destroyed ones; but for some people (particularly older people), this may not happen -- or can take weeks to happen.
My own sense of taste and smell has only mildly improved. I can barely sense taste and smell.
There is something called "smell training" which is widely touted to be helpful in these cases: use strong scented essential oils like orange and peppermint twice daily to "retrain" your cell receptors to smell strong scents. I bought a set on ebay for under $10.