Losing senses from COVID-19

STRIPPED

Text by MIA BALDONADO and ALLEGRA WEST

Art by SAMANTHA HO COPING WITH THE LASTING EFFECTS OF CORONAVIRUS

EVERY MORNING after waking who has suffered from one of the virus’s up, Rachel takes a whiff of her long-term effects — the inability to smell. favorite essential oil, Blue Tansy, Although COVID-19 is widely known as in hopes that she might have re- a disease that targets the lungs, it can also gained her sense of smell. Rachel, a Palo Alto High School teacher whose name has been changed to protect her medical “ I remember specifically, we had some broccoli in the refrigcause anosmia, the loss of smell, and dysgeusia, an alteration in one’s perception in taste. A Scientific Amerhistory, describes this routine over a Zoom call, and smiles while erator ... And he [her husband] was gagican article stated that about 80 percent of COVID-19 patients recalling a particular morning where she could smell just a ging because it smelled so bad, and I couldn’t experience smell disturbances including anosmia and dyshint of that beloved, fragrant scent. smell anything.” geusia. According to an article published “It’s almost like a little piece of my — RACHEL, Paly teacher by Harvard University, anosmia occurs nose started to work when SARS-Cov-2, again, like very light- the coronavirus that ly,” Rachel said. “And that was exciting. I causes COVID-19, infects olfactory supwas like ‘Okay, I’m not permanently dam- port cells and decreases their functioning aged, or I’m not like never gonna smell abilities. again.’” 2019 Paly alumnus Will Robins con-

Rachel contracted COVID-19 in early tracted COVID-19 in September after December after a close acquaintance had coming into contact with other students at gotten it days before. She is one of many his college who had the virus; he suffered

OF SENSES

from anosmia for two and a half months sary. From not being able to detect burning despite only suffering from short-term ef- food, to not knowing when to change a bafects for a few days. by’s diaper, anosmia can have a great impact

“When I lost my smell, it was very sud- on people’s lifestyles. den and unexpected,” Robins said. “I re- “I remember specifically, we had some member eating breakfast and being able to broccoli in the refrigerator,” Rachel said. taste and smell, but when I ate Chipotle for “My husband opened it up, and apparently lunch I couldn’t taste or smell it.” it had gone bad. And he was gagging be-

Once Robins regained his sense of smell, cause it smelled so bad, and I couldn’t smell he was able to use “smell training” to get his anything. Apparently the whole house mouth back to the normal tastes, as he also smelled like rotten, deadly broccoli and I experienced dysgeusia. According to Rob- had zero ability to smell it whatsoever.” ins, this entailed smelling different things as Although many young people may not many times as possible throughout the day. Despite this, his sense of smell has still not returned completely back to normal. “ I thought it was more like the 60 to 75 age group that would have see COVID-19 as such a dangerous virus for them, everyone is susceptible to COVID-19’s unpredictable effects and “I’ll say toothpaste for sure is one of the the severe symptoms. should continue wearing a mask and mainones I noticed the And I felt like that was taining social distancmost [difference in taste] just because I the part that was defi- ing. Even if a previous COVID-19 patient use it like every day,” nitely not true.” eventually tests negaRobins said. “Easily I tive, it can take several could tell it was mint —WILL ROBINS, Paly alumnus months to fully return before. And now it’s to normal, just like almost like if you chew Rachel and Robins. gum for about two hours or something [so] “I thought it was more like the 60 to 75 that it kind of loses its taste but you kind age group that would have the severe sympof know what it is. It tastes like that right toms [losing taste and smell],” Robins said. now, still.” “And I felt like that was the part [about my

For many, a loss of smell can interfere previous assumptions] that was definitely in daily activities in which smell is neces- not true.” v