Parosmia: The COVID Side Effect That Can Make Food Smell Rancid, Last Up To 2 Years

CBS Minnesota

August 19, 2021

One of the long-term side effects of COVID-19 can be hard to swallow for some people. The condition is called parosmia, and it’s where the smells and tastes of foods are distorted. In some cases, people experiencing parosmia can’t even be in the same room as the foods that they once loved.

Nikki Seppelt, 30, of St. Louis Park, is one of people suffering from this side effect. She first contracted COVID-19 in July of 2020 and lost her sense of taste and smell for a few weeks, a common symptom of the virus. But when those senses came back, things tasted and smelled wrong. Garlic, onions, leafy greens, and red meat smelled rotten to her, making her sick if she’d eat them.

Dr. Holly Boyer, of M Health Fairview, says about 80% of COVID-19 patients experience some form of parosmia, where the smell receptors in the nose are damaged, causing foods to taste and smell rancid, metallic or smoky. Generally, the condition lasts two to six months. In rare cases it can take up to two years to recover.

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