Tuesday 29 December 2020

I think that covid-19 has messed up my sense of smell

As was almost inevitable, one member of our family (Her Indoors) thought she had covid-19 so she applied for one of the postal tests, which came back positive a few days later.

Our little lass was insanely hot and ill for a day or two, so Her Indoors and the lass both went off to be tested locally (before the results of the first had one came back).

The lass is back to normal, our lad has been unaffected, but I also felt pretty crap for two or three days. I tried sniffing various things in the kitchen to see whether I had lost my sense of smell, that being one of the symptoms. I haven't lost my sense of smell* but it's definitely pretty messed up.

Most thing still smell the same to me, but there are a couple of things which I now can't smell at all; a couple of things which smell stronger (garlic) or where the smell seems to linger for longer; some things which smell weaker and a bit metallic (Foster's lager, even after I've poured it into a glass); and a couple of things which I normally like the smell of but which now smell rather unappetising to me (strawberry jelly, which also tastes metallic, the chocolate coating on biscuits, the peanuts in peanut cookies).

It turns out that this is a thing. Oh dear. And on the back of Her Indoors' positive test (the first one), I was sentenced to self-isolation until tomorrow inclusive. At least I can go out again for the New Year's Eve celebrations, lolz, was my initial thought.

To add to the confusion, somebody from the NHS rang Her Indoors yesterday and explained that actually the ten day quarantine starts when she first noticed symptoms, not the date of the test, so her quarantine period is now over and apparently this applies to all four of us. I wish she'd got that in writing, I don't think The Authorities will take kindly to this sort of waffle if they catch me breaking cover.

* For "smell" read "smell and/or taste", I just couldn't be bothered writing that each time.

9 comments:

Peter Briffa said...

Hang on in there!

Mark Wadsworth said...

PB, ta, will do!

Piotr Wasik said...

Best Wishes and get well soon, guys!

A K Haart said...

Keep well - your lass getting over the fever must have been a relief. I find lager tastes slightly metallic to me if I think about the flavour instead of just drinking it.

Graeme said...

It's in the official guidelines:

Your isolation period includes the day your symptoms started (or the day your test was taken if you do not have symptoms), and the next 10 full days.

JuliaM said...

Oh, yuck, that sounds nasty. Get better soon.

Mark Wadsworth said...

PW and JM, ta. "Soon" is a strange word to use - the lass was better after one day, I was never that bad and it's largely worn off after four days, Her Indoors is still completely knackered after two weeks.

AKH, but is that really the lager or the metal taste from can or barrel? Even jelly tasted slightly metallic (and not in a good way).

G, yes, the official guidelines make sense, after ten days you are no longer infectious (we assume). But other household members might not catch it for a few days after the first person had their infectious phase (which appears to have been the case with us).

John Arthur said...

Beer cans have a plastic liner so you won't get the metal taste from that. You might get it in the smell of the metal can if you drink it straight from the can. Otherwise it sounds as if you have Covid!

Mark Wadsworth said...

JA, aha, thanks, I live and learn. Covid it is then.