Imagine waking up one morning after recovering from COVID-19 to find that the smell of your coffee is like unwashed socks or the smell of eggs from feces, and the taste of your orange juice is metallic. Strangely, this is a good thing because it is a sign that you still have a sense of smell even if it is miswired in your brain. Your ability to smell can also disappear entirely, a condition called anosmia, where without warning, you can no longer inhale the sweet scent of your baby's skin or the roses your partner gave you.

Taste and smell are intertwined, so food may be flavorless and appetite may decrease, as previous studies have shown that this can lead to malnutrition, cognitive decline, and depression. But the danger lies in the fact that without smell, you may not recognize warning signs of fires, natural gas leaks, toxic chemicals, or spoiled food and drinks. This is the reality for about 5% of COVID-19 survivors worldwide. According to a 2022 study, more than two years after the pandemic started, researchers found that an estimated 15 million people may still suffer from issues perceiving odors, while 12 million may have taste problems.

In the same context, ENT specialist Dr. Zara Patel, Professor of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery at Stanford University School of Medicine, said that smell training encourages people to sniff essential oils twice a day. Patel also stated: "The way I explain it to patients is that if you have a stroke and your arm stops working, you go to physical therapy, you do rehabilitation, this is exactly your smell training."

While science learns more about how COVID-19 attacks and disrupts smell, "I think you will see more targeted interventions," said nasal specialist Dr. Justin Turner, Associate Professor of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery at Vanderbilt University. Turner said that anyone still suffering from loss of smell and taste "should think positively and assume that the sense of smell will return, as people have lost their sense of smell and taste for centuries due to cold and flu viruses, nasal polyps, thyroid disorders, severe allergies, sinus infections, and neurological conditions such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and multiple sclerosis which can damage the ability to smell and taste, sometimes permanently. The same goes for head trauma, exposure to toxic chemicals, cancer treatments, smoking, gum diseases, antibiotics, and various blood pressure, cholesterol, reflux, allergy medications, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Aging is a major cause of loss of smell as the ability of olfactory neurons to regenerate decreases. When the virus causing COVID-19 invaded our lives, the condition that was relatively rare among people under 50 years old expanded significantly, affecting all ages." Surgeon Dr. Eric Holbrook, Assistant Professor of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery at Harvard Medical School said on the same topic: "COVID-19 affected young people much more than other ages with loss of smell after infection."