Got the RONA...no smell, no taste, no WINE!

Hi…remember me? Unfortunately contracted the 19 three weeks ago, started with headache and fever, then three days later flu fatigue, a burning sensation in the nasal…and lost ALL smell and taste! And I mean…totally gone! I won’t bore you with all the details…I wasn’t hospitalized, and was able to go back to work in 14 days. It is now 21 days, still not back to normal, but getting better. The loss of smell and taste started to come back after about 16 days…but still is not totally back yet. Have not had any wine in 21days since this one TN: 2017 Sandlands Merlot (USA, California, Napa Valley, Coombsville) - WINE TALK - WineBerserkers. I tell you what…I am very thankful that none of my family contracted it, and that I wasn’t hit as hard as a lot of people who are really suffering or dying. But losing your taste and smell like that, and have read reports that it might be permanent (Anosmia)…a real sense of panic and depression sets in, wondering if you will ever be able to enjoy food and wine ever again! [shock.gif]
So…I’m wondering who else has been going, or has gone, through this…and how long it took to get back your taste and smell? Did it come back 100%…have you noticed a change in the smell or taste of wine? And to keep this in the Wine Talk thread…what wine would you suggest that could kick the hell out of the anosmia, and get back your vinous life again?

Thanks, and hope to see you soon… [cheers.gif]

Not much to say other than get fully well soon, and glad you’re on the mend.

Damn Buzz, so glad you have come out the other side! Sorry about your senses, but given what might have happened sounds like you got fairly lucky! Anyway, happy to see you back.

Glad you are getting better Buzz. I had anosmia for a different reason (head injury) ten years ago, and it was a loooong road back. I decided to gt back on the horse fairly quickly, and two things happened: I gained a much greater understanding and appreciation for structure and balance in wines, as I did not have the fruity stuff to worry about, and secondly it slowly retrained my senses, as I was so focused on trying to tease anything out of the wines.

So if I were you I would just start trying, obviously with more daily drinker type wines.

Reach out if you want to discuss in any more detail. Good luck!

Yikes Buzz, very glad to hear you are on the mend. Your positivity and enthusiasm has been clear since the WCWN days, and I’m sure your glass half full outlook on life was a factor in your ability to beat this stuff.

I would echo David’s thought to start with cellar defenders as a low stakes way to get back in the saddle. Maybe some highly perfumed BoJo?

Ouch Buzz
We drank SL Mataro last night. I wish I had known that we need to toast to your health. Hopefully the recovery is swift.

Damn Buzz. Glad to hear you are on the mend. I would switch over to hard alcohol to kick start your taste buds.

Glad to hear you are well Buzz. That must have been a very scary time. I’m glad to hear you are doing better now. From the limited studies I have read they are very encouraging in terms of recovering your sense of smell and taste. The time it took for people to get their smell/taste back ranged greatly from 1 week to over 4 weeks. There really isn’t much out there because Covid is rather new. However, from what I have read it sounds very promising that you will have your taste/smell back and should have it back fairly soon. It does seem that most people regain it slowly like David said. I am not a doctor so this is only from a layman’s reading of reports. The best news is that you came out the other side and didn’t have to be hospitalized. Keep us posted on how it goes. I wish you the best and hope you feel back to normal asap. I left a link to a few things I read below that were a bit easier to read. They are not very exciting to read, but it may make you feel a bit better about the prospects. I wish you a speedy recovery!


A little data on the topic

Graphs- PubMed Central Image Viewer.

Entire Test/Article from a Korean study - Prevalence and Duration of Acute Loss of Smell or Taste in COVID-19 Patients - PMC

More breif article- Early recovery following new onset anosmia during the COVID-19 pandemic – an observational cohort study | Journal of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery | Full Text

MODS- Please let me know if outside links are not allowed or need to be cleared by anyone. If they are not I will remove them immediately.

Very glad you are OK…and looking forward to your notes when your smeller is back in shape! [cheers.gif]

First of all, glad you are doing better. Give yourself a break and appreciate that you have dodged a bullet. Things are going to take time so maybe just take a month away from wine. I think most of us are feeling some version of PTSD and the depression is real. This is along time to be unmoored from normality. We cant fast forward things we have no control of so deep breaths and give yourself time and permission to heal. As for vino if you want, now may the time for big and jammy.

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Glad to hear you’re on the mend and hope your senses recover soon!

Oh man, so sorry to hear that Buzz, but very happy that you’re on the upswing! Sending positive thoughts your way buddy!

Thanks everyone, appreciate the well wishes! Btw, the testing for covid is a joke! Took 15days for my results to come back. So much for the contact tracers…

Wow! Glad you’re ok but as a fellow Steelers fan, it makes sense you kicked Covid’s tail champagne.gif

Any sense (no pun intended) on how you were infected or no clue?

Be well Buzz, glad you are n the mend. I remember a couple years ago with a nasty cold losing all taste and smell for a day or so, could not imagine going weeks like that. Eating food solely on texture is unpleasant

Bummer. Hope you are back to 100% soon. We miss your notes and enthusiasm.

This seems all over the map. My daughter was tested in the South Bay and had results in 36 hours. Some noted wine influencers from LA were getting results back within a day, I think. But I’ve also heard other stories like yours.

Sorry to hear. Hope you get better soon.

Buzz,

Was wondering why I wasn’t seeing more mouth watering pictures from you . . . So sorry to hear and hope things get ‘back to normal’, so to speak, sooner rather than later.

Cheers!

Get weller, Buzz

Glad to hear you are healthy and survived! Sounds like in time smell comes back according to the article linked below. Promising…