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| Long Covid: 'Everything tasted like cardboard' | Long Covid: 'Everything tasted like cardboard' |
| (about 16 hours later) | |
| It's been a long day, your stomach's rumbling and you've just tucked into your favourite Jamaican dish: you wait for that kick, but nothing, no taste whatsoever. | It's been a long day, your stomach's rumbling and you've just tucked into your favourite Jamaican dish: you wait for that kick, but nothing, no taste whatsoever. |
| That was the reality for 23-year-old Horcel Kamaha in March when he contracted coronavirus - and his loss of taste would last for three long months. | That was the reality for 23-year-old Horcel Kamaha in March when he contracted coronavirus - and his loss of taste would last for three long months. |
| "Everything that had really strong flavours, I couldn't taste," he says. "I was mostly eating Jamaican food and I couldn't taste it at all, everything tasted like paper or cardboard." | "Everything that had really strong flavours, I couldn't taste," he says. "I was mostly eating Jamaican food and I couldn't taste it at all, everything tasted like paper or cardboard." |
| Now, scientists think a loss of taste and smell is the best way of knowing you've caught the virus, but it wasn't until April that it was added to the list of symptoms. | Now, scientists think a loss of taste and smell is the best way of knowing you've caught the virus, but it wasn't until April that it was added to the list of symptoms. |
| There's also a lot of mystery around the long-term effects of Covid-19, but the government says it'll be setting aside millions of pounds for research - good news for the thousands of people in the UK who have reported symptoms going on for more than a month, according to data from the Covid Symptom app. | There's also a lot of mystery around the long-term effects of Covid-19, but the government says it'll be setting aside millions of pounds for research - good news for the thousands of people in the UK who have reported symptoms going on for more than a month, according to data from the Covid Symptom app. |
| Horcel, whose sense of smell has still not recovered, tells Newsbeat: "I felt confused but it was so early on, I just went about my business as normal. | |
| "I was concerned about my own body odour, you know, you'll smell your clothes to see if its needs a wash. | "I was concerned about my own body odour, you know, you'll smell your clothes to see if its needs a wash. |
| "The other frustrating thing is that my smell isn't the same anymore and some things I can't eat, I've lost the taste for it. | "The other frustrating thing is that my smell isn't the same anymore and some things I can't eat, I've lost the taste for it. |
| "I can officially say Covid-19 ruined my sense of smell and I'm kind of worried it's permanent." | "I can officially say Covid-19 ruined my sense of smell and I'm kind of worried it's permanent." |
| 'Peppers taste like grass' | 'Peppers taste like grass' |
| This is relatable for Eve Tredwen Barry, a 23-year-old south Londoner, whose symptoms also started in March. | This is relatable for Eve Tredwen Barry, a 23-year-old south Londoner, whose symptoms also started in March. |
| "I remember eating a pizza and it tasted like I was eating nothing," she says. | "I remember eating a pizza and it tasted like I was eating nothing," she says. |
| "It's permanently affected how some things taste, for example bell peppers now taste exactly how freshly cut grass smells. | "It's permanently affected how some things taste, for example bell peppers now taste exactly how freshly cut grass smells. |
| "A lot of things smell weirdly like pickles to me, like dill pickles or sweet pickles. A lot of the time someone might ask me 'what's that smell?' and I can't smell anything at all. | "A lot of things smell weirdly like pickles to me, like dill pickles or sweet pickles. A lot of the time someone might ask me 'what's that smell?' and I can't smell anything at all. |
| "I'm really not sure why people aren't talking about this more, it really affects people's mental health not being able to taste food. | "I'm really not sure why people aren't talking about this more, it really affects people's mental health not being able to taste food. |
| "I know that sounds silly as I am lucky to have recovered but food is a huge source of happiness for me." | "I know that sounds silly as I am lucky to have recovered but food is a huge source of happiness for me." |
| Worried about the long-term consequences, Eve went to see a doctor but says "they seemed equally clueless on how to help". | Worried about the long-term consequences, Eve went to see a doctor but says "they seemed equally clueless on how to help". |
| After failed attempts with allergy medicine prescribed by her GP, Eve has a message for people who aren't taking the idea of longer symptoms seriously. | After failed attempts with allergy medicine prescribed by her GP, Eve has a message for people who aren't taking the idea of longer symptoms seriously. |
| "I'd like to urge people to wear their masks - we don't know the long-term effects fully yet. | "I'd like to urge people to wear their masks - we don't know the long-term effects fully yet. |
| "Hopefully some more research comes out about the nerve damage and neurological effects that Covid has, since it's now been seven months and no-one seems to know why." | "Hopefully some more research comes out about the nerve damage and neurological effects that Covid has, since it's now been seven months and no-one seems to know why." |
| 'Layer of anxiety' | 'Layer of anxiety' |
| Becky Nelson, aged 27 from Manchester, says her sense of smell "disappeared instantly". | Becky Nelson, aged 27 from Manchester, says her sense of smell "disappeared instantly". |
| "I went to light a candle, it was the weirdest thing because it's a really prominent candle, every time I walk past it without it even being lit I can smell it," she says. | "I went to light a candle, it was the weirdest thing because it's a really prominent candle, every time I walk past it without it even being lit I can smell it," she says. |
| "And then I just thought, wait a minute I don't think I can smell this. It's a weird one." | "And then I just thought, wait a minute I don't think I can smell this. It's a weird one." |
| A loss of smell and taste was the main symptom that prompted Becky to get tested and her results came back positive. | A loss of smell and taste was the main symptom that prompted Becky to get tested and her results came back positive. |
| Now, well over the two-week period the virus is said to be active for, she's not too sure what think about the future. | Now, well over the two-week period the virus is said to be active for, she's not too sure what think about the future. |
| "The smell is definitely taking a lot longer to come back than the taste," she says. | "The smell is definitely taking a lot longer to come back than the taste," she says. |
| "I've got to take a really deep inhale to the point I'm going to pass out before I can get a scent of anything." | "I've got to take a really deep inhale to the point I'm going to pass out before I can get a scent of anything." |
| Becky describes the added "layer of anxiety" of having to think about things that never crossed her mind before. | Becky describes the added "layer of anxiety" of having to think about things that never crossed her mind before. |
| "I'd be lying in bed and think 'what if there's a fire in the night' like I can't smell smoke, do my smoke alarms work." | "I'd be lying in bed and think 'what if there's a fire in the night' like I can't smell smoke, do my smoke alarms work." |
| NHS England's Your Covid Recovery website offers support for all patients recovering from Covid. | NHS England's Your Covid Recovery website offers support for all patients recovering from Covid. |
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| Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here. |