Are there any other explainable reasons why one might have a loss of smell or taste besides covid? My left nostril has a burning sensation with an ever so slight drainage and I couldn't taste my dinner really this evening. Airways are completely clear with no hindrance to breathing. I can still smell strong scents like soap when held close to my nose but the sense is certainly reduced. I was around a non symptomatic at the time person about 2 weeks ago. Got a mouth swab test late last week which came back negative. Loss of smell/taste was the one thing that somewhat concerned me about this whole thing and am hoping there might be another explanation.

It's possible that it is a sinus infection.

If you've been around someone, it's much more likely COVID. I would get a nasal test.

From what I experienced I'd say there's a good chance your positive.

My primary symptom was burning sinuses.

Get tested again.

Did your taste and smell come back, how long did it take?

I'm on day 21 and it's starting to return on certain things. I can smell garlic if it's cut and near me. I put some lotion on my hands today and caught a faint whiff of something girly.

I ate ground jalapenos with my eggs this morning and all I got was a brief sense of spicey heat on my tongue. Been good for my diet.

I'm pretty well still without those senses. I'd say 30% smell and 10-15% taste. But that's an improvement over a few days ago when I couldn't taste or smell anything at all.

Edit to add I lost these senses about day 5-7. And to spell jalapeno correctly. Twice.

Eat beans and cabbage with impunity!

...I hope everything is back to normal soon.

Similar symptoms for me and I was positive

My exact symptoms - you know when you get water up your nose and it stings? It was like that but never went away. I had that for a couple of days before I lost my taste and smell.

Has your taste/smell returned? If so How long did it take? Did you have any other symptoms?

That's a good way to describe it. I had a burning sensation in my nostril for a day or two before realizing I lost smell.

Yes, it was gone maybe about 10 days. I just ate and drank things that were familiar - like frozen pizza and ice cream.

I had it back in June and was back to work right away. Only other symptom really was exhaustion. I was more miserable with the flu though the flu was awful, it was over quickly.

My son started that way, then had a progression of symptoms, all getting worse for the next week. Only now at day 12 does he say is better, and these are the only symptoms he still has.

So I'm a little over a week into this thing and right now the first bite or sip or two of something I can kind of taste but then it seems the flavor disappears, smell seems to becoming back but it seems to vary throughout the day. Anyone else have these similar experiences? I'm just hoping this is a step on the road to full restoration of taste & smell

Jock 07 said:

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So I'm a little over a week into this thing and right now the first bite or sip or two of something I can kind of taste but then it seems the flavor disappears, smell seems to becoming back but it seems to vary throughout the day. Anyone else have these similar experiences? I'm just hoping this is a step on the road to full restoration of taste & smell

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I have very similar symptoms. That burn (followed by a bloody nose and HEAVY sinus pressure), then no smell or taste the next day. Im on day 2 of it and have the similar "barely taste first bite, then nothing" sensation. Hoping it comes back sooner, but have heard it can last a few weeks. My wife recovered her smell and taste in 2 days, as did another friend of mine.

At three weeks now and taste is still very much diminished. Really starting to worry about long term smell/taste issues

Jock 07 said:

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So I'm a little over a week into this thing and right now the first bite or sip or two of something I can kind of taste but then it seems the flavor disappears, smell seems to becoming back but it seems to vary throughout the day. Anyone else have these similar experiences? I'm just hoping this is a step on the road to full restoration of taste & smell

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Yes...I had the same thing. Would take a few bites of something and could taste it, then the taste would go away. That went on for a few weeks. I had covid in early Dec, and my taste/smell was back to 100% probably about the middle of last month.

Burning nostrils and loss of taste/smell were the only symptoms my cousin and her husband had

Little over a month in now and seems like smell is trying to come back, am able to pick up some smells in the air but often disappear quickly. Taste seems to be lagging. Sometimes I pick up flavors in the first bite or two but they're still fading as well. Extremely frustrating and hoping I'm still making progress to getting full flavor back.