Kate McHenry says she’s afraid her sense of smell will never return to normal.
Losing the ability to smell or taste are two symptoms associated with Covid-19.
Although much later return to normal, for others, it turns into a phenomenon called parosmia, which leaves them trapped in a world with a distorted smell.
To Kate McHenry, ordinary tap water smelled bad.
The bath soap also gave off an unpleasant odor, which made him struggle while showering.
“Aussie shampoo, which used to be my favorite, is now the most disgusting smell in the world,” he said.
After falling mildly ill in March with suspected Covid-19, the 37-year-old woman, from Widnes in Cheshire, was unable to smell anything for four weeks before her sense of smell slowly returned.
But in mid-June, things were “starting to taste so weird,” the smells he could smell were “bad chemicals.”
It had a life-changing effect on Kate.
She lost weight, struggled with anxiety, and yearned for the enjoyment of eating, drinking, and socializing.
Her problem was so bad that even in the places where the food was cooked she was overwhelmed by the stench.
“I like good food, go to restaurants, have drinks with friends, but now that is all gone.
The flesh tasted like gasoline and prosecco wine tasted like rotten apples. If my partner, Craig, eats curry,
I feel that it smells really bad. I even felt a smell coming out of the pores, so I struggled when I was near it.
People with Covid-19 lose their sense of smell, which is known as anosmia, because the virus damages the tissue and nerve endings in their nose.
When the nerves grow back, parosmia can occur and the brain cannot identify the actual smell of an object.
This condition is usually associated with the common cold, sinus problems, and head injuries.
Sufferers described they could smell burning, cigarette smoke, or rotting meat.
In severe cases, the smell causes vomiting.
Although professionals hope parosmia is a sign of the restoration of the sense of smell, for some people it can take years to heal.
