Loss of sense of smell and taste (London)

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)