Can we talk COVID symptoms?

[Figment of Speech]

I'm wondering if anyone with COVID has a decrease in taste/smell? I have no other symptoms, and I'm not sure if a DECREASE is a symptom. I can still smell and taste, but everything tastes "off"

A friend of mine only tasted saltiness, sweetness, bitterness, etc. The actual qualities of the flavor of food were gone for her. Is that similar to what you're experiencing? What it suggests (in my nonmedical perception) is that she lost her sense of smell but not taste.

You know how you learned in first grade that smell is the sense that picks up most of what we think of as "taste," and then your teacher said to try holding your nose when you eat to see how it works, so you tried, but you could still taste things, so you thought you must be either a weirdo or a superhero or doing it wrong? No? Just me?

Anyway, plugging your nose doesn't actually eliminate your sense of smell, but COVID sure can, so it kind of makes sense that it's possible that it will cause you to taste only the basic taste categories and not actual flavor.

My friend said it was more miserable to her than not being able to taste at all.

On the subject of whether fever or loss of taste/smell is a better indicator of COVID, they've each got pros and cons. Fever is a more common symptom for COVID, but it can be caused by a lot of other things, so it doesn't necessarily mean COVID, whereas loss of taste/smell in the absence of other symptoms isn't quite as common but can't really be much but COVID. If you have a fever, it's a good idea to avoid other people whether it's COVID or not, since you don't want to give them flu or strep, either.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

For those that have had COVID can you share your symptoms?

My nose swab test from early January came back positive. My only symptom was a stuffy and runny nose, which I had actually assumed was allergy-related. Maybe it wasn't, I dunno.

 

[sacall]

Myself, my husband and 22 year old daughter all had Covid in November. None of us had a fever. It started with sinus issues for my husband on a Wednesday. He went to a Urgent Care Center, didn't have a fever, didn't have loss of smell, didn't have a cough so the Urgent Care doctor told him it was a sinus infection. Doctor said not everything is covid. He didn't even want to test my husband, but husband demanded covid test. Doctor said if it is postive, they would call next day. If it was negative, you would get results in 2-4 days. Never told him anything about self isolating until the results because the Doctor was insisting this was a sinus infection.

No call the next day, so we assumed my husband was negative and just had a sinus infection. By Sunday, my head was starting to feel weird. I wasn't stuffy, didn't have a fever, didn't lose my sense of smell or taste, but I just felt off. Like my head was in one of those old fashion diving bells - hard to describe. Still didn't not have results from husband's Covid test. On Monday, made husband call Urgent Care to find out results. They said they couldn't tell him over the phone but would email them to him. Get the email, guess what, husband has Covid!!

So I call our Doctor's office to see if my daughter and myself could get tested. We got tested on Monday afternoon and by Tuesday afternoon, they called and said both of us were postive. The only symptoms I had was the weird feeling in my head - like a really bad cold but no stuffy nose and fatigue. I was really, really tired and just could hardly get out of bed. My 22 daughter had a stuffy nose and she did lose her sense of smell but not taste and fatigue.

It took us a good 3-5 days to get over the fatigue. Husband did develop a slight cough, but nothing major. Both husband and myself have asthma, but we never had an issue with our asthma and covid. It took about 2 weeks or so to feel 100% normal.

When the Health Department called, we did tell them about our experience the Urgent Care Center and how they were not taking Covid seriously.

 

[godisney14]

Myself, my husband and 22 year old daughter all had Covid in November. None of us had a fever. It started with sinus issues for my husband on a Wednesday. He went to a Urgent Care Center, didn't have a fever, didn't have loss of smell, didn't have a cough so the Urgent Care doctor told him it was a sinus infection. Doctor said not everything is covid. He didn't even want to test my husband, but husband demanded covid test. Doctor said if it is postive, they would call next day. If it was negative, you would get results in 2-4 days. Never told him anything about self isolating until the results because the Doctor was insisting this was a sinus infection.

No call the next day, so we assumed my husband was negative and just had a sinus infection. By Sunday, my head was starting to feel weird. I wasn't stuffy, didn't have a fever, didn't lose my sense of smell or taste, but I just felt off. Like my head was in one of those old fashion diving bells - hard to describe. Still didn't not have results from husband's Covid test. On Monday, made husband call Urgent Care to find out results. They said they couldn't tell him over the phone but would email them to him. Get the email, guess what, husband has Covid!!

So I call our Doctor's office to see if my daughter and myself could get tested. We got tested on Monday afternoon and by Tuesday afternoon, they called and said both of us were postive. The only symptoms I had was the weird feeling in my head - like a really bad cold but no stuffy nose and fatigue. I was really, really tired and just could hardly get out of bed. My 22 daughter had a stuffy nose and she did lose her sense of smell but not taste and fatigue.

It took us a good 3-5 days to get over the fatigue. Husband did develop a slight cough, but nothing major. Both husband and myself have asthma, but we never had an issue with our asthma and covid. It took about 2 weeks or so to feel 100% normal.

When the Health Department called, we did tell them about our experience the Urgent Care Center and how they were not taking Covid seriously.

Glad to hear you guys didn’t experience any severe symptoms.

Just curious, was that urgent care doc on the older side or younger side?

 

[mi*vida*loca]

My daughter and I had it in October.

I had headache, sore throat and low grade temp that never went over 100 so it’s not even considered a fever. It was basically like a cold.


My daughter had sore throat, headache and loss of taste and smell. She could still taste saltiness, citrus, and sour. She got hers back in a week.

My coworker also had loss of taste and smell only. She also could taste sour, citrus, salty and things like that but not that actual food. Hers went on for months.

 

[sacall]

Glad to hear you guys didn’t experience any severe symptoms.

Just curious, was that urgent care doc on the older side or younger side?

Yes was on the younger side.

 

[LuvOrlando]

When I worked in a school I sat next to the nurses office and you would not believe the number of kids who would go home really sick then be sent in the next day "fever free" only to come back looking for the nurse around lunchtime or recess, precisely when the Tylenol or Motrin stopped working. Temp checks for anything are easy to bypass most of the time.

 

[DLgal]

A friend of mine only tasted saltiness, sweetness, bitterness, etc. The actual qualities of the flavor of food were gone for her. Is that similar to what you're experiencing? What it suggests (in my nonmedical perception) is that she lost her sense of smell but not taste.

You know how you learned in first grade that smell is the sense that picks up most of what we think of as "taste," and then your teacher said to try holding your nose when you eat to see how it works, so you tried, but you could still taste things, so you thought you must be either a weirdo or a superhero or doing it wrong? No? Just me?

Anyway, plugging your nose doesn't actually eliminate your sense of smell, but COVID sure can, so it kind of makes sense that it's possible that it will cause you to taste only the basic taste categories and not actual flavor.

My friend said it was more miserable to her than not being able to taste at all.

On the subject of whether fever or loss of taste/smell is a better indicator of COVID, they've each got pros and cons. Fever is a more common symptom for COVID, but it can be caused by a lot of other things, so it doesn't necessarily mean COVID, whereas loss of taste/smell in the absence of other symptoms isn't quite as common but can't really be much but COVID. If you have a fever, it's a good idea to avoid other people whether it's COVID or not, since you don't want to give them flu or strep, either.

Loss of smell and taste are common with a lot of respiratory illnesses as well as sinus infections.

I was REALLY sick last January right after my son was. I completely lost my sense of taste and smell. I couldn't even perceive minty gum or toothpaste. I still to this day think I had Covid.

However, that was not the first time in my life that I have lost those senses due to an upper respiratory infection. It has happened several times. I tend to have chronic sinus trouble and it is super common to lose smell and taste.

So it isn't necessarily a definitive indicator, although considering the low incidence of other respiratory illnesses going around RIGHT NOW, if you experience loss of smell/taste it is likely Covid.

 

[Figment of Speech]

Loss of smell and taste are common with a lot of respiratory illnesses as well as sinus infections.

Yup! That's why I made sure to include "in the absence of other symptoms."

Of course, if respiratory and sinus infections can also affect only sense of taste and smell, and nothing else along with it, then I stand corrected!

Research is suggesting that loss of taste and smell in COVID is actually a neurological symptom, rather than respiratory. This is why it can sometimes be the only symptom a person ends up experiencing, while in other cases it's part of a larger set of symptoms. You can lose taste and smell from the common cold, of course, but in that case it's not a virus playing with your brain, it's just your stuffy nose dulling your senses.

 

[AuntieMe3]

DD22, DH and myself all tested positive in Dec. I was the first not feeling well. I just felt off one day, next day I felt like I was getting a cold, headache, head congestion. By the evening time I had a fever with terrible body aches. My fever only lasted that night and I woke up feeling better but still not right, like I had a bad cold. 2 days later, DD had a fever. She had it off and on for about a week and was really tired so she slept alot but that was pretty much her only symptom. Dh was sick a couple days later, started with fever off and one for a couple days, combined with terrible headaches and body aches. None of us lost our sense of smell or taste.

 

[SaintsManiac]

Just jumping on to give a PSA. My husband broke out into a weird rash last night that was getting worse today. Sent him to urgent care and they tested him. He tested positive. We were shocked, but when he started adding it all up the doc said it fits. She said the CDC list of symptoms is not what she typically sees. So many people she sees are shocked over being tested and positive.

He never had fever or cough. Never lost his sense of smell or taste. He had nasal drip and brain fog and then the rash.

He’s already on day 13 from when the runny nose started, so doc said he doesn’t have to quarantine.

I had a headache, brain fog, nasal drip and backache 3 weeks ago. I guess I had it first? No idea. I honestly thought my aches and fatigue were hormonal. I never had a test.

Anyway there we are! I guess we really will all get it at some point! Neither one of us felt so bad that we could not function. We didn’t even feel like we had a bad cold or anything. This virus is so weird.

 

[happily single]

A friend of mine only tasted saltiness, sweetness, bitterness, etc. The actual qualities of the flavor of food were gone for her. Is that similar to what you're experiencing? What it suggests (in my nonmedical perception) is that she lost her sense of smell but not taste.

You know how you learned in first grade that smell is the sense that picks up most of what we think of as "taste," and then your teacher said to try holding your nose when you eat to see how it works, so you tried, but you could still taste things, so you thought you must be either a weirdo or a superhero or doing it wrong? No? Just me?

Anyway, plugging your nose doesn't actually eliminate your sense of smell, but COVID sure can, so it kind of makes sense that it's possible that it will cause you to taste only the basic taste categories and not actual flavor.

My friend said it was more miserable to her than not being able to taste at all.

On the subject of whether fever or loss of taste/smell is a better indicator of COVID, they've each got pros and cons. Fever is a more common symptom for COVID, but it can be caused by a lot of other things, so it doesn't necessarily mean COVID, whereas loss of taste/smell in the absence of other symptoms isn't quite as common but can't really be much but COVID. If you have a fever, it's a good idea to avoid other people whether it's COVID or not, since you don't want to give them flu or strep, either.

That is a pretty good explanation of what happened with me, I could taste the salty, sweet, etc, but not the “full flavor”.

I did have a Covid test today. It was negative

 

[JenBush]

I had it in November. My symptoms were just a like a bad cold. Dry/swollen/sore throat, sinus pressure, slight cough, fatigue. I never had a fever or loss of taste/smell.

 

[MrJT]

I'm wondering if anyone with COVID has a decrease in taste/smell? I have no other symptoms, and I'm not sure if a DECREASE is a symptom. I can still smell and taste, but everything tastes "off"

I had a few of the symptoms that built up over time. The way that you describe "taste" sounds like how I felt. I could still recognize flavors in food, but they were still wrong. Nothing tasted right.