BBC World Service’s feature on people not regaining their sense of smell immediately after recovering from Covid reminds me of what happened to me in 1987/8 when I lost my sense of smell.
I’d spent three weeks in Peru in October/November 1987, then flown straight out to Switzerland the day after I got back to London. October/November is Peru’s late spring / early summer, as it’s in the southern hemisphere, while it is late autumn / early winter here in Europe. It must’ve been the switch from one climate zone to the other that brought on a heavy cold and bad cough. After a week of coughing and blowing my nose, I completely lost my sense of smell. Everything tasted like sawdust. (Good time for dieting, I thought.)
It went on for a couple of months.
I was invited to a New Year’s Eve dinner party by a colleague who’d done all the cooking, including quail for the main course. I was sat on his right at the table, so he asked me during the quail course, “How is it?” The true answer would’ve been “Tasteless!” but I couldn’t bring myself to say it, even though I had a good reason for it. I’d felt a tangy sensation on my tongue, so I went for, “There’s vinegar in it, isn’t there?” He said yes, and luckily didn’t press me for an answer. Phew.
I then read somewhere that it’s very common for the sense of smell to go during a cold or flu, and that taking zinc would restore it. So, I got some zinc supplements. A couple of weeks later, my sense of smell returned.
I then wished it hadn’t, for with my sense of smell restored, I could smell everything on my peak-hour Tube train journeys to work: body odour, unwashed bodies/hair/coats, bad breath, cheap perfume.
(London, 1987/8)
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