'That Meatball Tastes Like Gasoline’: Thousands suffer smell and taste disorders after COVID-19

Doctors are seeing a huge influx of patients who have developed what used to be relatively rare smell and taste disorders.

Like millions of people who contracted COVID-19, Ryan Wotherspoon experienced some of the virus's hallmark symptoms.

"It was the middle of August, and I woke up one morning without any taste or smell. So I pretty much knew I had it," he told 13News.

The symptoms lasted about four weeks, and when his sense of smell and taste returned, Wotherspoon figured he had put the virus behind him.

But by late October, the musician and actor noticed certain foods did not seem to taste right. His favorite frozen pizza was not the same. The burrito he regularly ordered from a Mexican restaurant seemed off too.

"I just chalked it up to they changed their ingredients. But the more I tasted things and they didn't taste the same, I thought it seemed too much to be a coincidence," he said.

It was no coincidence. And in recent months, the problem has gotten much worse.

Instead of familiar foods tasting bland or different, Wotherspoon says they now taste horrible. And the smell of food cooking makes him feel nauseous.

"It's pretty bad. You just want to spit it out. It's sour. It's dirt. It's mixed with gasoline … smoke, like burning. That's really what it is," Wotherspoon explained. "It's just like one flavor that my brain is being told everything tastes like. It's just this overall gross smell and taste that's around me all the time."

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[willyblanco]

It's like a weird chemical taste to me. It's been about 6 months.

[crushdem]

This guy describes what I'm dealing with to a T. It's hard. I miss eating.

[Jeanszv]

I thought I was the only one. Glad to know I’m not crazy.

[adamhasan]

I had covid about 5 months ago and I have been smelling a scent of perfume and garbage all the time. It actually hurts to breathe through my nose too 😞

[appaknak]

I want to cry, my family eats delicious foods like meats I used to eat before, and now here I am, smelling gasoline and everything makes me want to throw up. I don't even know what to eat now

[erikasaavedra]

I have the same issue and is been like this for 2 months. And no one can help me. I have determined some foods to eat no meats at all. Many things other that. Its depressing but I’m alive and continue to do what’s best for me.

[bryannorman]

I have this now. Everything smells like a mix of onions, garlic, and garbage and everything tastes bitter and gross.

[GoldenRashio]

I found this and it gave me hope! So thankful. My family thought I was crazy!! It's horrifying. And still there. Help

[mariaadams]

I'm suffering from this too. Smell more than taste. It's driving me crazy to be honest. It's been 6 months now since I contracted Covid 19.

[brookeandjessyawn]

This has happened to me since I had COVID last summer. Lots of my favorite foods no longer taste the same, like there is a weird aftertaste that I cannot always describe. It started with potato chips. Every bag I open tastes like it hasn’t been sealed properly and their is like a perfume taste (almost like air freshener). At first I thought I just wasn’t closing the bags very well at home. But then I realized that I taste it with brand new bags. Cocktail sauce and certain seasonings all taste the same as foods my husband cooks on the grill when he uses cherry wood (I don’t have any other way of explaining that. It is so weird). I pray this all goes away! I love to eat and enjoy tasting foods so much. Hoping everyone else here has improvement soon too! Prayers!

[DonJetblack]

Ive lost over 20 pounds because of this. Im slowly gaining wait now that ive learned what i do enjoy as far as taste and not.

[DrFiero]

I thought I was going crazy the last while - a LOT of foods (mostly previously frozen) all taste like gasoline. Being a mechanic, I REALLY KNOW what gas tastes like!!! It's as if I'd been rebuilding a carb, and forgot to wash my hands.

[yeahali]

Yes I have this too! Completely lost my smell for about 6 months, now for the last 3 months I have been dealing with Parosmia - garlic is so bad for me & I am struggling to enjoy eating at all! Eating vegetables has been good for me as they are mild - meat is an absolute no go as it tastes rotten 😰 wishing everyone here a full recovery!

[XiseTK]

The highlight of my day used to be "what are we doing for lunch?!" I never realized how much happiness and joy good food brought is really hard its been 7 months since my sense of smell and taste has gone away and just like this guy it is some indescribable smell that flavors and scents everything. Like everything is just varying degrees of this wierd smell I can't describe. EVERYTHING smells the same from garbage to fine dining and it is a nightmare.

I hope this gets better fast I can't take much more of this, my whole world has gone grey. :(

[krystian]

Sometimes i wanna cry to sleep and never wake up, its that bad

[claudia]

Everything taste different to me. I don’t eat meat anymore because it taste rotten and smells horrible to me. I’ve been like this for a year now..

[Rafa_coroli-maw]

You don’t realise how much you love food until you can’t fucking eat it without throwing up

[jo-anncraddock]

I got covid in October last year and lost smell and taste for weeks, it came back but not as it used to be, in March of this year I kept smelling this horrible chemical smell and thought it was something in my home at first but i was getting the smell outside and in shops and also at work, I went to my gp and got a steroid nasal spray but that did nothing and was told there was nothing that could be done and that it would eventually return to normal but it’s a nightmare to live with as it’s not just smell it’s taste also, not everything i eat tastes bad but certain foods. It’s also annoying that no one around you understands and seeing this post has made me feel that i’m not alone with this

[sludgeman]

Got my taste and smell back after a month of Covid only to lose it again shortly after.
For me everything tastes and smells like popcorn and bleach.

[ggzii]

Do you have any help for UK people or just tips in general. I've been eating the same 1 meal and drink since November and it's so depressing. everything tastes and smells awful, my life has been turned upside down :( I feel like people aren't taking this seriously.